I've been talking a lot about the role of socialization in media in the last few weeks. I came to the conclusion that the social connection we get is usually more important than traits like originality (or at times, familiarity). I based my theories off my various readings (such as Starstruck's theories on socializing), watching the phenomena, and pure intuition, and I believe in an abstract way, I really did hit on something.
My experience became less abstract recently, in a way that I think further confirms my basic theory: the ability to experience social ties with a media is a major part of what we choose.