Why Can't People Have Civil Political Discussions On Social Media?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Having a political discussion with someone who doesn't agree with you appears to be getting harder this election season.
Maurice Hall is chair of the communications department at Villanova University, and says social media has changed the way people get their political information.
He says half of all people who use social media get their information from Facebook or Twitter, and...
"Many of us in the electorate who are increasingly at the ends of the political spectrum are increasingly tending to have our perspective reinforced back to us, and those people also tend to be the people who are leaders who tend to shape opinions and tend to silence people who don't agree with them."
He adds, however, that there are many voters in the middle who will examine all information available, but he says they will remain silent on their opinions. He calls it the "Spiral of Silence:"
"When some of us hear, or are exposed to views that are expressed in strong or in dominant ways, and if we don't agree with it, but we don't think there are a lot of people who think the way we do, then we tend to silence ourselves."
In addition, Hall says, people who strongly identify on the left or right, tend to "friend" only those on Facebook or Twitter, who reinforce their own opinions.
As a result, Hall says, the most strident, and extreme views are those most posted.
