Social Media & Public Opinion

Social media has changed the way public opinion is formed and how people communicate with each other. It used to be that most information came from things like TV, newspapers, and radio. Today, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X allow anyone to share their thoughts and opinions with a large audience instantly. Due to this, public opinion can form much faster, and people have more opportunities to participate in discussions about social and political issues.

One major impact of social media is how quickly information spreads. A post can go viral within hours if people start sharing it and using hashtags to attract more attention. For example, the #MeToo movement spread widely through social media and encouraged people around the world to share their personal experiences with sexual harassment. This shows how social media can also help raise awareness and influence how society views important issues.

Storytelling also plays a very big role online. The Narrative Paradigm suggests that people are often more persuaded by stories than by facts alone. On social media, personal experiences, short videos, and more emotional posts tend to get more attention because people can relate to them. These stories can help audiences connect with the message and are more likely to share it with others.

Another important idea is the Gatekeeping theory, which refers to controlling what information reaches the public. In traditional media, editors decided which stories were published, but on social media, algorithms and trending topics act as new gatekeepers by deciding which posts are shown to more users.

Reference:

Pearson, J. C., Nelson, P. E., Titsworth, S., & Hosek, A. M. (2021). Human communication (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Comments

About Me!

Hi everyone! My name is Avery Pleiman, and I am currently a freshman at Oregon State, majoring in BioHealth Sciences on the Pre-PA track. I am from Independence, Kentucky, and currently live on campus in Corvallis, Oregon. This is my first communications course, and I’m excited to learn more about different ways to communicate and improve my skills throughout the term. I use online communication a lot to stay in touch with friends and family, share updates on social media, and keep up with school-related resources. The platforms I use most are iMessages, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok because they are fast, easy, and fun. I like using them not just to connect with people, but also to stay organized and see what’s going on in my family and friends’ lives, especially since I live far from home. A little about me personally: I play on the OSU women’s soccer team, which takes up most of my time and keeps me busy, but I love it. Being part of a team has helped me learn responsibility,...

A Lifelong Friendship Through Knapp’s Relational Model

Interpersonal relationships are always changing, even the ones that have lasted the longest. One of the most important relationships in my life is with one of my best friends, and someone I’ve known since Kindergarten. Although our friendship started when we were young, it has continued to grow and change over time. Using Knapp’s Relational Model, I see our current relationship fitting best into the intensifying stage. Growing up, we spent a lot of time together. In grade school and high school, we had similar routines, classes, and activities, which made it easy to hang out regularly and stay close. As we got older and closer to college, we both chose to pursue sports that took us in different directions. She chose to run track at a school near home, and I chose to play soccer at a school across the country. Distance and demanding schedules meant we no longer saw each other in person as often. Communicating online became very important to keep our friendship and help us stay connected...

Early Start Times: A Questionable Debate

For my blog post, I wanted to choose an argument I could relate to and understand from a personal perspective. For my weekly blog, I chose the argument of school start times because I’ve heard a lot of back and forth from both sides. I also haven’t been on Reddit before, so this was a whole new experience for me, trying to find an argument about this. However, I chose this Reddit thread because the topic is relatable to almost everyone, and they also question why schools start so early if research suggests a later start time. As someone who used to and still struggles to wake up for school, I was interested to see what people thought. This discussion quickly turns into a debate, with commenters sharing strong opinions, personal stories, and frustrations. One concern I noticed is that a lot of comments would say opinions as facts without citing any research. Also, the original post mentions that it’s “proven” to be harmful, but very few responses include credible sources. Another i...

AVERYDAY BLOG

Search This Blog