Silence and Noise: Self-censorship and Opinion Expression on Social Media

TL;DR

This study investigates online self-censorship on social media, revealing how community context and perceived norms influence opinion expression and its implications for public discourse.

Contribution

It provides empirical insights into self-censorship behaviors and their effects on participation in polarized social media environments.

Findings

Self-censorship correlates with community context and audience size.

Users with lower posting frequency are less likely to express opinions.

Expressed views are often adjusted to align with perceived group norms.

Abstract

Unlike the more observable phenomenon of group opinion reinforcement, self-censorship online has received comparatively less attention. Our goal in this work is to dissect the phenomena of self-censorship and to examine the implications of restrained expression for participation in public discourse, particularly in polarized contexts. We explore how social media users express their opinions online through analyses of 390 survey responses and 20 semi-structured interviews using a mixed-methods approach. We ask social media users about the differences between their publicly shared opinions and privately held beliefs, highlighting the influence of contextual factors on self-expression. Our findings show that self-censorship is associated with community context; social media users embedded within larger audiences, with lower posting frequency and perceived support, are less likely to express their opinions, and those who do speak often adjust their expressed views to align with perceived group norms. The study complements the rich literature on echo chambers and opinion reinforcement on social media platforms, highlighting the silence within the noise and its potential consequences for public discourse, which have become increasingly pertinent in an era where online platforms are pivotal to social and political narratives.