Study suggests social media is key contributor to self-censorship

Most Republican voters support childhood vaccine mandates, yet may be discouraged from publicly expressing these views, a new study suggests.

To determine the source of this disconnect, researchers conducted a survey that revealed differences between Republican voters who support childhood vaccine mandates and those who do not.

According to the study, most Republicans surveyed supported immunization requirements for children and held favorable attitudes toward vaccine safety, while those who said they opposed vaccine mandates did not acknowledge this support exists – and expressed a greater willingness to share their vaccine views to others.

In contrast, the Republicans who supported vaccine mandates were largely aware that their views were in the majority, but tended to be less outspoken.

This phenomenon, called the false consensus effect, describes a misperception by people about how widespread their views are and a belief that their opinions are shared by others – when they are not.

“Those in the majority may simply sit out of the conversation because they see online environments as being dominated by extreme views and don’t want to engage in uncivil discourse,” said Dixon. “What’s significant is that those in the majority may self-silence even when they are aware of their majority status.”

The study was recently published in Human Communication Research.

  • @667
    link
    English
    222 months ago

    “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” —George Orwell, Ninteen Eighty-four

    • @dohpaz42@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      72 months ago

      I can’t help but wonder if 1984 is art imitating life, or the playbook for modern-day facists. Regardless, it’s creepy af how near accurate it has become.

      • @xkforce@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        92 months ago

        1984 was released in 1949 back when fascism and totalitarianism were still fresh in the minds of WWII era europeans. It was neither unprecedented nor would it be the last time 1984 rang alarm bells for the real world.

      • Granbo's Holy Hotrod
        link
        fedilink
        72 months ago

        No, it’s just not a new thing. We are in the fascism cycle … hopefully the back side gives us another golden period.

        • @SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          62 months ago

          anacyclosis - The word anacyclosis has been variously translated as “the cycle of political revolution” and “the cycle of the constitutions.” In short, the theory states that the six regime archetypes that the Greeks identified and which we still use today (monarchy, tyranny, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and ochlocracy or mob-rule) each represent different stages of one long process of political evolution.