Why so quiet? Exploring inhibition in digital public spaces
Citation:
Work data:
ISSN: 1460-3705Type of work: Article (academic)
Categories:
Participation | Social Media & Social SoftwareTags:
echo chambersAbstract:
Social network sites have been considered as important arenas for public debate, but as a large proportion of users do not actively participate, there is a need to further our understanding of a phenomenon as hidden, unnoticed and invisible as non-participation. We argue that inhibition is a valuable socio-psychological lens to study non-participation, usefully extending the conceptual framework of political communication regarding non-participation, and offering a more precise way of theorising the intent behind this apparent passivity. Using representative survey data collected in Norway in 2017 (N?=?2064), we first sensitise the multi-layered concept of inhibition through combining different dominant approaches: the spiral-of-silence theory, the harsh debate climate, political efficacy, and specific properties of social network sites related to identity and impression management. Second, we show that inhibition functions as an in-between concept balancing participation and non-participation in social network sites. Through factor analysis principal component factor (PCF), we integrate established theories that allow us to define overarching dimensions of inhibition, demonstrating that it is a complex phenomenon not easily understood through one specific theoretical perspective.
Notes:
The characteristics of those who experience inhibition in SNS:
- Social discomfort
- Dismissal of SNS as a venue for debate
- Preferring presence over participation
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Date of register: 2021-08-29 07:28:05
Sakariassen, Costera Meijer (2021). Why so quiet. Exploring inhibition in digital public spaces.pdf
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