The Spiral of Silence is a theory thought of by German political scientist Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann. The theory is based on silencing or exclusion of people in a group because of different opinions from the majority. This silencing may be self-inflicted to prevent issues within the group or by the person whose opinions don't align with others.
The main idea behind the spiral of silence is that someone is inflicting self-censorship of thought on themself. These thoughts are usually based on holding a minority opinion within a group. Many tend to base their censorship on the belief that they will be exiled socially and isolation will ensue if they voice their opinions publicly.
There are four main parts to complete the spiral of silence. Part 1: The Quasi-Statistical organ or sense is your ability to determine the majority/dominating opinion in a social setting. This is in a sense 'reading the room'. We all want to fit in with our peers so mimicking their actions will lead to someone fitting in socially. Being able to determine the 'feel' is an important skill to have socially as it can determine the most appropriate way to act even when not referring to the theory. Part 2: Public opinion and the spiraling process is an important step. A public opinion is any thought or expression that can be presented within a group without repercussion with the group consensus. The spiraling process begins when an already dominant opinion becomes the prevailing one for the group. This makes the illusion that everyone is on the same page and believes the same ideas. The minority thoughts get swallowed by the overall opinion and pushed to the bottom of the majority. Part 3: Threat of isolation. Nobody wants to feel isolated from society because humans by nature are social creatures needing interactions to survive. Self-censoring to stay within the group majority is a form of social control and can be enacted to silence those with other opinions. This threat of isolation is the key factor to make the spiral occur because it is almost like the enforcer that ensures you act the way the group expects. Part 4: Future opinion. The current thought within a group may not be the only silencing factor. Future opinions can also be a thought someone has before they speak their opinion. If you know that what you say could be an issue in the future then you may not say it for future backlash.
The spiral of silence can occur in all facets of our lives and affect anybody. One of the most common times someone may self-regulate what they say is usually when politics is talked about. Many people know that this is a very divisive issue and many don't want to get involved or know they may not have the popular opinion in the group. The spiral of silence affects everyone though although the situation may depend on when they do and don't feel comfortable talking about it. If you have ever not spoken up or expressed your feelings in a group setting in fear of disagreement or a negative perception by the group is an example of this theory taking place.
Social media has also increased the spiral of silence theory into ways I'm sure Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann couldn't imagine. With the ability to post your opinions online for all to see we usually tend to see dominating opinions emerge. This further silences the minority opinion and makes it visible to all if they break the status quo. The platforms also give a platform to users who may want to make their account private and share with only the people they know will agree. Although this is beneficial to them by creating a way for them to express their opinions it does however further isolate them. I do believe social media has made the issue worse overall because it gives the sense of dominating opinion while also making sure everyone is able to know if you disagree. Social media does offer many great benefits but this is certainly a well-documented negative that is affecting children and teens significantly.
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