Which description captures the spiral of silence and the effect of online harassment on user speech?

• A. The spiral of silence suggests people speak up more when they disagree.
• B. The spiral of silence describes people staying silent when they fear isolation; online harassment can intensify silence of dissenting voices.
• C. Online harassment has no impact on willingness to speak.
• D. The spiral of silence only applies to print media.

Answer: (B)

The spiral of silence describes how people monitor the social environment and often stay quiet when they fear their view is in the minority, to avoid isolation. Online harassment raises the costs of speaking up—fear of ridicule, threats, or retaliation—so dissenting voices are even more likely to self-censor. This combination creates a feedback loop: as more people stay silent, the perceived majority seems louder, which reinforces further silence among those with minority opinions. That’s why this description best captures both the spiral of silence and the chilling effect of online harassment on user speech.

Options that claim people speak up more when they disagree contradict the theory, and the idea that online harassment has no impact ignores the clear chilling effect. The notion that the spiral applies only to print media is inaccurate, since the concept extends to online and other modern media contexts as well.