Blog Post #7

 The Spiral of Silence Theory is “a political science and mass communication theory which states that an individual's perception of the distribution of public opinion influences that individual's willingness to express their own opinions. Also known as the theory of public opinion, the spiral of silence theory claims individuals will be more confident and outward with their opinion when they notice that their personal opinion is shared throughout a group. In other words, from the individual's perspective, "not isolating themself is more important than their own judgement", meaning their perception of how others in the group perceive them is more important to themself than the need for their opinion to be heard”(Spiral of silence - Wikipedia).

The biggest implication,  and the worst part of the Spiral of Silence is that no one will voice their opinion that they view to be in the minority. People have a “fear of social isolation that prompts them to constantly monitor the behavior of others for signs of approval or disapproval”(Spiral of silence | Social Psychology, Communication & Group Dynamics | Britannica). 

The good thing about the Spiral of Silence is that “those who sense that their opinions will meet with approval tend to voice them fearlessly and at times vociferously” (https://www.britannica.com/topic/spiral-of-silence).

The Spiral of Silence “occurs only in connection with controversial issues that have a strong moral component. What triggers a person’s fear of isolation is the belief that others will consider him or her not merely mistaken but morally bad. Accordingly, issues that lack a moral component or on which there is general consensus leave no room for a spiral of silence”(https://www.britannica.com/topic/spiral-of-silence).

The theory affects minority groups because of the fact they feel like they can’t voice their opinions. They feel that if they say something that is not what others think, even though many people might feel the same way, they will be isolated from society.

The Spiral of Silence affects different groups of people in different ways. Concerning women and men the theory impacts us differently. A good example is in “A popular movie Mean Girls is a classic example of the theory. Where everyone in the school is afraid to stand up against the majority group “The Plastics”. An important scene when all of the girls in the high school are asked to gather at an assembly on bullying. They are to close their eyes and then raise their arms when asked specific questions. When asked to open their eyes while their arms are risen, all the girls look around and immediately put their hands down in fear of rejection or judgment. This is a prime example of this theory, if they were asked to keep their eyes open, they would have most likely answered dishonestly or not at all. Eventually though, the movie ends peacefully after everyone realizes their feelings are similar and they aren't alone in the minority”(Spiral of Silence: Mean Girls). While this is not real life, the feelings and how they showed it are similar to what it feels like. 

The Spiral of Silence can affect me at home with my family and friends. There are times when there is an argument between me and my family or friends, and I feel scared to state my opinion. My opinion may be valid, but when multiple people feel the same way, and I do not, it can feel uncomfortable to speak up.