All the buzz about Twitter and other social media may make you think that all of it is filled mostly with the most extreme views and opinions, either from the far right or the far left.
But a new nationwide study of social media users found a different picture of things.
The research team surveyed more than 1,000 people from a nationwide U.S. census sample. People in the study were asked about their social media habits, how worried they are about losing friends over political differences, and how likely they were to self-censor their own social media posts.
The results? A sizable majority of social media users, who included moderate Republicans & moderate Democrats say they make a conscious effort to “self-censor” their posts so as not to offend or create arguments and risk losing friends online.
The study’s co-author says those on the far left and far right are the ones speaking up on social media and are not worried about what they say or how they say it and what impact it might have.
The study raises questions about what the future of social media. Will it become less divisive, or might the extreme views expand?
And might we see more decide to just leave social media. It is a choice.
(PHOTO GETTY IMAGES)
Photo: Getty Images