Social Network Sites have become a salient medium for the emerging Online Homophily over recent years. The booming popularity of social network sites had brought a rising population of connected strangers, which underlies the possibility of increased opinion diversity with less calcification; however, considering a consistent set of ideas usually get intensified when congenial people were assembled in unanimous and consonant Reference Groups, concerns about the possible insularity and the consequent pluralistic ignorance or even group polarization become exacerbated. These two contradictory tendencies are both closely associated with the impact of The Climate of Opinion, which plays an essential role in opinion formation. To better understand the actual state of how insiders’ attitude is mediated within those groups, this research conducted in-depth interviews and direct observations with twelve social network site users, which reveals partially the relationship discussed above.
中文關鍵詞
社群媒體 網路同質化 參考群體 意見氣候
英文關鍵詞
Social Network Sites; Online Homophily; Reference Group; The Climate of Opinion