Since the advent of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, social media users have been sharing the most personal and intimate details of their lives, such as what they ate for dinner, how many times they went to the bathroom, what they think of their date and how much they detest their supervisor.
When it comes to sharing their political opinions with the rest of the world then it’s an entirely different narrative.
A surprising new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that people who utilize social networks, like Facebook and Twitter, tend to refrain from sharing their opinions on hot-topic issues, even when they are offline.
Researchers aver that what they found was a “spiral of silence” trend, an idea highlighting that social media users will refuse to opine on controversial matters unless they really understand their audience. This has study authors concluding that social media may actually be creating an environment of self-censorship and removing political discourse.
Here are the detailed findings from the study:
The survey was conducted soon after it was reported that Edward Snowden had leaked governments that showcased widespread government surveillance of Americans’ phone and email records. Out of those surveyed, 86 percent were willing to discuss the issue in-person, but fewer than half (42 percent) of Facebook or Twitter users would be willing to post their thoughts online.
Furthermore, the regular Facebook user, which is someone who logs in a few times each day, was only half as likely to discuss the topic at a public meeting as a non-Facebook user. Also, a typical Twitter user was only one-quarter as likely to express their opinions openly at the office compared to non-Twitter users.
What may perhaps be the most interesting result is that only when a respondent felt their entire Facebook network agreed with them only then they would be twice as likely to share their opinions online.
In other words, a consistent social media user, whether they’re tweeting or posting a message on their wall, is more open to discussing the Ice Bucket Challenge and the Emmy Awards rather than the latest Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Federal Reserve System.
“Because they use social media, they may know more about the depth of disagreement over the issue in their wide circle of contacts,” Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Center Internet Project, told the Associated Press. “This might make them hesitant to speak up either online or offline for fear of starting an argument, offending or even losing a friend.”
Although there are some who say people are being tactful online, Rainie noted that fears of offending someone can actually suppress debate. “A society where people aren’t able to share their opinions openly and gain from understanding alternative perspectives is a polarized society,” added Rainie.
Despite the latest influx of studies and reports that purport a growing number of consumers are gathering their news and information from social networks, Pew discovered that a majority of individuals are still getting their news fix from television and radio.
