Social Media: A Reference Handbook: A Reference Handbook (Contemporary World Issues) by Kelli Burns

Author:Kelli Burns [Burns, Kelli]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781440843563
Publisher: ABC-CLIO
Published: 2017-03-31T04:00:00+00:00

Those who feel they hold the minority opinion on controversial issues may also join less-invasive and impersonal groups like Twitter, which offers a different platform than Facebook. The asymmetrical structure of Twitter gives users the option to follow, without being followed. Conversations are aggregated into hashtags and @mentions, and these interactions often take place among users with little or no personal relationship. The hashtags have also been used as a great tool to diffuse information, regardless of relationship statuses. Hashtags allow topics to be organized and collected as “trends,” and due to the lack of personal relationships, ideas are shared with the main purpose of self-expression without the expectation of reciprocation. Of the eleven reasons for using Twitter identified by the American Press Institute, only three were somewhat relational; all the other nine reasons were topic-specific (Rosenstiel et al. 2015). This gives those with minority views a less-invasive platform to express controversial views. There are also other virtual spaces where people are more comfortable to voice their opinions besides the well-known social media sites mentioned, including forums, chat rooms, blogs, and newsgroups.

Social media without a doubt have given an edge to the democratization of information: people are able to speak up more and share their perspectives and points of view. However, the relational nature of human beings, the need for acceptance, and saving face are still valued in human interactions—in some cultures even more than others. Ultimately, social media users, in fear of being in the minority view, seek alternative strategies to voice their opinions. Saving face, overall, continues to be the ultimate human communication goal, even if the opinion is not really the minority view but just perceived to be the minority view.

Juliana Maria (da Silva) Trammel is an associate professor of strategic communication at Savannah State University in Savannah, Georgia. She is a communications researcher and consultant with over 15 years of experience. She earned an MA in public communication from American University and a PhD in communication and culture from Howard University.

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