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 Social media has opened up millions of opportunities for people all over the world.  Someone could very easily become “friends” with someone across the globe from him or her.  Not only that, but one can strengthen relationships locally through social media, or like pages and join groups of people who are interested in the same stuff he or she is.  Facebook especially has been one of the biggest players in the social media game.  With all of the plusses of social media however, as time has gone on, the minuses have become more and more prevalent.  How far should one be able to go with posts on social media?  Do the algorithms guide people into thinking a specific way?  How should social media be used and how is it being used?  One of the biggest issues with social media is the concept called the “Spiral of Silence.”

                The Pew Research Center did an article called, “Social Media and the Spiral of Silence.”  The article says that, “A major insight… is the tendency of people not to speak up about policy issues in public…when they believe their own point of view is not widely shared. This tendency is called the “spiral of silence’” (Pew Research Center 2).  The article says that a lot of times, people will not post what they think because they do not want to cause arguments that go nowhere, and they do not want to lose friends.  It also said that, “One study found that people on Facebook start to write, but ultimately fail to share,33% of posts and 13% of comments”(Pew Research Center 23).  This is an interesting dilemma and consequence of social media.  It is not always bad to stay silent on issues that do not really matter, but for some things, one needs to stand up.  If social media is fostering the idea that one cannot speak freely unless he or she agrees with the majority, it can only mean eventual dangerous and harmful situations.

                Another issue connected to social media and Facebook in particular, is the algorithms used to guide what pops up in the newsfeed.  The Facebook Dilemma Part 1 talks about this.  One problem with the algorithms is that because they make news feeds so tailored the individual, they put people in this bubble where they are never seeing another side—dividing people even more than they were already. The documentary also points out that Facebook, with the freedom to post whatever one wants, is a news provider.  This is difficult because whatever people “like” the most gets put into more algorithms, even when the “news” is inaccurate.

                 Sadly, the most scandalous stuff is the most popular.  It is what gets “liked” and shared much of the time.  The Outrage Machine by the New York Times talks about this, using the example of “Auntie Christ” who was judged harshly by everyone online because the facts of her case were not accurately represented.  Danielle Keats Citron in that video says that to help combat this kind of false spread of information she hopes for, “a combination of law, and private providers, and schools, and parents…” to help train children about what to post and not post.

                 Social media has a great impact on people and will continue to for a long time.  The question is, how can we be more aware of its impacts on ourselves and our friends?  How can we guard ourselves against the “spiral of silence”?  What can we do to encourage accurate news in our newsfeeds?