Almost everyone has a Facebook, Instagram or Twitter account. Social events, which are generally on the agenda on these platforms, are being talked about by most users. So have you ever thought about this before? Well yes, something is on the agenda and we are constantly thinking and writing about these issues, but who wants us to express an opinion on them? Or why do we feel compelled to talk to other people ‘in a similar way’ about every agenda topic?
In fact, the reason is clear: Those who set the agendas in order to create a certain perception on social media, of course, are the companies that control the digital networks or the people with power and wealth. These are the secret powers in the background that we do not see with our eyes… Here we need to talk about an important issue. What happens to people who talk about things that are undesirable to talk about?
According to academic Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann’s theory of the ‘Spiral of Silence’, the dominant view silencing the minority views that do not suit it.
Without boring you too much, let’s briefly explain the theory and discuss how it might be related to social media through examples. According to Neumann, people who have ideas that are accepted in the society can express themselves more confidently and comfortably. However, those who think differently from the general public have lower self-confidence and may experience fear of being excluded from society.
In short, while the majority has the opportunity to express themselves comfortably under all circumstances; minority may have to suppress their thoughts. People who have different opinions than everyone else thinks, and as long as they remain silent, they may never speak again.
You ask why? Because they don’t want to deal with people’s negative reactions and they silence themselves. Since this situation is constantly repeated, it can become a loop, that is, a spiral.
There is also this, for example, we have all learned right/wrong, good/bad by observing our environment since childhood. Of course, these judgments are shaped by the perception of the environment in which we grew up.
According to the Spiral of Silence Theory, people begin to adopt whatever idea was generally accepted at that time. In other words, it happens that ideas become popular and then fall, you know, that same account. You might even know it from the “Don’t be TT” conversation on Twitter.
If the thoughts that rise for a period are in accordance with one’s own thoughts, then he can speak and express himself freely. However, if a person’s thoughts are not popular in the mainstream, then that individual may feel as if they have to be silent.
If you’ve already come across discussion boards on Twitter or under-post comments on Instagram, you may find that people immediately attempt verbal attacks on those who post something different from what they want to hear.
Whoever manages the social media platforms, the policies of that person are valid there. The account that blows the whistle that gives the money.
Let’s take the example of Twitter, which was recently purchased by Elon Musk. When he first took over Twitter, he stated that he would value freedom of expression. But as soon as he took office, he laid off a large number of employees.
Also, as soon as Musk came to power, his ex-girlfriend Amber Heard’s account was also closed instantly. Of course, there is no certainty that Musk has a hand in this matter, since Heard has previously said that he will close his account. It just caught the attention of most people.
On top of that, Musk said that the blue tick will now be sold to all users for money. Now, what is the relevance of this, like this: Someone owns a digital platform and sets new rules according to their wishes from the moment they get the power.
For example, in simpler terms, this means that if users want to stay on Twitter, they have to play the game by Musk’s rules. Those who are not satisfied with this situation, maybe they will leave the platform for good and become silent, we don’t know… Therefore, this is an example that is compatible with the theory we explained above.
Another example: For example, we can all use features such as spam, complaint and block on digital platforms, regardless of whether it is Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube. We can immediately show these reasons and complain about people who we think are disrupting the peace and structure of society with their posts, let’s say on Instagram.
Suppose there is an influencer and he has 10 million followers. Let this person open a live broadcast. When he speaks in a way that the viewers may not like on the live broadcast, many people watching him at that moment can react.
Immediately, followers can unite and have this phenomenon’s account closed by spamming. Sometimes even that is not all, they can reveal the person’s ideas to other people by taking screenshots just because their ideas do not suit them. Thus, smear and lynching campaigns are started.
The individual who is exposed to this situation now knows what will happen when he behaves according to his own mind without pocketing the thoughts of the people who follow him on social media. Therefore, when his account is opened for the second time, he can now broadcast or produce content according to the wishes of his audience.
As you can see, these features of social media such as ‘blocking’, ‘spamming’, ‘complaining’ and ‘reporting’ turn into ideological tools that feed the spiral of silence. Maybe it is not so easy to silence someone in real life, but you can solve the problem with one click in the digital environment.
These tools cause people to constantly control themselves and feel a responsibility towards others. Why?
Because most people prefer not to express their opinions on social issues by saying, “Oh, I will get a reaction, Mr. Ali Rıza, don’t let our mouth taste bad now”. Those who say, “Unlike these people, I think so and so” are left with cursing, insults, and being expelled from nine villages. Sometimes, as we just mentioned, they may even become unable to use their personal accounts again.
So what do you think? Is social media a place where ‘freedom of expression’ is accepted as is supposed? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
- Sources: Marshall Mcluhan, DergiPark
- Image Sources: Scala News, The Student Life, The New York Times, Vox, HS Insider, Fast Company
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