Social media users are more likely to self-censor on their accounts if they think they have a minority opinion, according to a new Pew Research Center report on the role of social media in civil discourse.
The study's lead authors Keith Hampton, associate professor of communication at Rutgers University, and Lee Rainie, Pew director of Internet, Science & Technology Research, have dubbed this phenomenon the "spiral of silence," according to PBS.
"People don't feel like speaking out when they feel like it's not met with a positive reception. You don't want to lose friends or be on the receiving end of an embarrassing comment. That's the traditional line of ostracism," explained Hampton.
Lee reportedly speculated that when people look out into their social media networks, they noticed a "broader level of disagreement."
"They're watching Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and they're aware of more arguments, more contentions and more disputes than they were aware of at first. There's this capacity to watch constantly what's around you and it gives people a sense that there are more arguments [than their own]," stated Lee.
Lee added, "If they don't want the hassle of a dispute, it gives them more incentive to keep quiet."
A survey was conducted asking 1,800 adults about the case of leaker Edward Snowden. It was found that people on Facebook and Twitter were "more likely to clam up on whether widespread government surveillance is a good thing," according to the Dallas News.
The survey reportedly focused on the willingness of adults to share their opinion on Snowden's 2013 revelation of widespread government surveillance of Americans' phone and email records.
Typical Facebook users - people who log onto the site a few times a day - were half as likely to discuss the Snowden case at a public meeting as a non-Facebook user, according to the website.
"Because they use social media, they may know more about the depth of disagreement over the issue in their wide circle of contacts. This might make them hesitant to speak either online or offline for fear of starting an argument, offending or even losing a friend," explained Lee.
