Social media users shy away from opinions(?)

Originally published on 27 August 2014

Anne Flaherty:

The study, done in conjunction with Rutgers University in New Jersey, challenges the view of social media as a vehicle for debate by suggesting that sites like Facebook and Twitter might actually encourage self-censorship. Researchers said they detect what they call the “spiral of silence” phenomenon: Unless people know their audience agrees, they are likely to shy away from discussing anything controversial.

It is not “self-censorship”, per se — but more about people knowing when it’s a good time to keep quiet during a discussion. Any discussion.

Indeed, social media enables people to be more expressive. But similar mannerisms, as those being practiced in real-world conversations, shouldn’t be any different in either situation. Assuming that an individual’s online representation is identical to that of his/her real world’s, I see no reason why the social skills being practiced should be non-reflective.

Only when a person felt that their Facebook network agreed with their opinion were they twice as likely to join a site discussion on the issue, the survey found.

Simply put: peer pressure.

It happens in the real world too.

Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Center Internet Project, said it’s possible that social media actually sensitize people to different opinions.

“Because they use social media, they may know more about the depth of disagreement over the issue in their wide circle of contacts,” he said. “This might make them hesitant to speak up either online or offline for fear of starting an argument, offending or even losing a friend.”

In other words: the “social” in social media.

Let’s not forget the traditional way:

• meet people;
• befriend;
• chit-chat; and
• repeat.

The newer-fangled ways of maintaining social ties simply amplifies the cause-and-effect we have all been conditioned to live by all this while. A similar scenario would most likely play out in a social-media-free world, but with a far lesser effect.

It’s all relative.

Kinny tweets aviation, social media and technology on Twitter.