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.
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“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.
Why?
Mostly through personal experiences. I live in a red county in a mostly red state. I once somehow pissed a vet off because he assumed I was conservative based solely on my appearance. In his words, I looked too cool to not be republican. That was probably the saddest, yet funniest, experience I’ve had.
I’ve lost decades-old friends because of their right-leaning ideologies. Never once had I put them down for their beliefs. But they were quick to call me an idiot or zombie or otherwise insult my intelligence because I dared think different than them. Suffice it to say, I am not friends with them anymore.
The friends that I do have are my friends because I steer clear of talking politics. Not that I haven’t tried. But somehow, even my so-called left-leaning friends seem to think differently than me. Maybe it’s me. I don’t know.
I like to think I’m fairly open-minded. There are things I won’t change my mind about, but I will listen to what other people have to say and I won’t insult them for it.
I don’t know. It’s ultimately how I feel as a whole. For the most part I know most people are good people, even if they’re misguided. But it’s that vocal minority that espouse nothing but vitriol and hate and revel in other people’s misery that I have a problem with. And those people are more often than not, center or right of center as far as I can tell.
How do you feel about conservatives?
I feel like I do not have a lot in common with them. Their ideals and mine do not align. Do I hate them? Not inherently, no. But I do very much disagree with their ideals and their methods. There are a few individuals I wouldn’t mind seeing leaving office sooner rather than later. But that’s a pipe dream.