SILENCE SPIRAL THEORY: FUNCTIONING OF SILENCE SPIRAL IN THE MEDIA SPECIFIC TO SOCIAL MEDIA

Abstract

The spiral of silence theory, which is discussed in studies carried out after the 1960s in mainstream
media research, is based on the assumption that the views and attitudes of individuals are affected
by the prevailing climate of thought in the environment. According to the theory in question,
individuals who go beyond the ideas and values adopted by the majority in society abstain from
expressing their thoughts for fear of exclusion, and ultimately prefer to remain silent. Mass media,
especially social media, play a major role in shaping the attitudes and thoughts of individuals.Social media platforms, which have come to the fore in parallel with the developments in
communication technology, lead to significant transformations in the structure of society. Virtual
platforms act as a kind of antidote for individuals who are silent in their real lives. The extent to
which social media is successful in breaking the spiral of silence has been the subject of various
studies. It is seen that individuals who are aware of the fact that they are watched in online
environments and that every action they take leaves a trace, cannot act freely on virtual platforms
either. In this context, it can be said that social media has moved away from the ideal of being a
new area where ideas that are not generally accepted in society can be expressed easily. While the
phenomenon of surveillance, which also shows its effect on social media platforms, tries to suppress
people and limit them, this situation brings with it discussions about how much the liberation
promised by social media is realized. In this study, it is theoretically discussed how the mixed
theory of silence in the media works in social media.