After learning about the many terms that relate to mass communication, one that sticks out to me the most is spiral of silence. Spiral of silence is the term meant to refer to the tendency of people to remain silent when they feel like they have opposing views on a subject compared to the people around them. Many people do this for two different reasons:
1. The fear of isolation when the group or public realizes that the individual has a different opinion from the group as a whole
2. The fear of reprisal or more extreme isolation, in the sense that voicing their opinion might lead to more negative consequences beyond that of mere isolation (loss of a job, status, etc.)
In today’s politically-heightened world, many people have very strong political beliefs tending to sway either left or right. The majority of these people are stubborn and stern in their beliefs and do not fail to express their opinions when asked. This sometimes causes shifts in agreeability between people and can lead others to shy in their opinion when someone else comes off too strong.
Personally I am not a politically charged person. I keep up with news and current events but ultimately I believe that politics separate people and cause more conflict than harmony. Due to this belief I often find myself shying away from expressing the few political opinions I do have. This is not because I feel like people will isolate me, but because the conflict it could create is unnecessary and creates no solution. I know that my actions aid in creating this downward spiral of silence, but I believe that sometimes picking and choosing your political battles could serve a greater purpose.
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