The Relationship Between Minority Opinions and Platform Interaction Mechanisms in New Media Platforms

Abstract

With the rapid development of new media technologies, short video platforms and other new media forms have gradually become essential channels for people to access information and express their views. The expression and dissemination of minority opinions present a distinct landscape in the new media environment compared to the traditional media era. Based on the Spiral of Silence Theory, this study explores the relationship between minority opinions and platform interaction mechanisms in new media environments. Through literature review and inductive summarization methods, it analyzes the impact of new media platforms’ technological mechanisms and social functions on the expression of minority opinions, as well as the evolution of the Spiral of Silence Theory in the new media context. The study finds that the interactivity and anonymity of new media platforms provide more opportunities for the expression and dissemination of minority opinions. However, information cocoons and group polarization phenomena may also impose restrictions on minority opinions. This study aims to enrich theoretical research in the field of mass communication, mitigate the effects of information cocoons, promote diversified expression of viewpoints, and facilitate opinion inclusiveness on platforms.