This thesis explores the relationship between media regulation and social status by conducting comparative study between Australian and American college students. The thesis defines popular culture as a new form of high culture used to elevate social status. The hypothesis states that less media regulation exposes people to more popular culture and therefore improves their social status. Australians live in a context of less media regulation and are therefore popular culture and media exposures are hypothesized to have less of an impact on their social statuses compared to Americans. In order to test this hypothesis, a survey was sent to Australian students at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, and to students at the Colorado College in the United States. The survey results and analysis revealed that though American students have higher levels of achievement and aspiration in college compared to Australian students, American students have significantly lower prestige scores. The results of the thesis as well as other alternative hypotheses ask questions and start a discussion for future comparative research on media regulation and society.