Sometimes we choose not to disclose the information we have, we are silent without a barrier that prevents us from talking, we decided that it was better to shut up than to share information, for what?This is all due to a psychological mechanism called self-nsorship.
Self-censity is defined as the act of intentionally and voluntarily concealing information from others in the absence of formal obstacles.
- When people think that revealing information comes at a high cost.
- They’re more likely not to share it.
- Self-established information can maintain coexistence in a society and help prevent damage; however.
- Self-censing can lead to anxiety.
- Guilt and shame.
- As well as prevent the free flow of information.
Self-censity can therefore also lead society to disre awareness, impoverish public debate and contribute to mental decline.
Free access to information increases the value of freedom of expression and critical thinking. In addition, free access to information allows for more deliberate discussions, as well as being open and free, allows transparency in the system and expands the scope of public discussions.
All this allows leaders and members of society to make more balanced decisions based on social issues, thus avoiding moral transgressions, in this way, free access to information allows a dynamic change of opinion and facilitates the development of tolerance.
In every society, however, there is a tension between the free flow of information and its restriction, in this sense, we believe that a flow of uncontrolled information can harm a society.
Indeed, even the most liberal and democratic states feel that at least some of the information and opinions need to be suppressed. themselves in self-nsorship.
Self-censing requires the person to have information that has not been disclosed, when we talk about information we omit opinions. The information, contrary to opinions, must be true, refers to something that actually happened and is considered true and valid without relying on personal opinions, the content of the information can be diverse, with topics ranging from the negative to the positive.
The act of censorship indicates that the individual intentionally and voluntarily retains (does not share) this information even though there are no formal obstacles, such as external censorship, that prevent him from sharing it.
That is, individuals voluntarily decide not to share information without any other limitation that prevents them from disclosing it, behavior that implies that individuals informally control and regulate the flow of information or, in other words, prevent free access to information, freedom of expression and free flow of information.
Self-censura has at least three established foundations in psychology
First of all, human beings naturally tend to share, communicate and disseminate information, members of society have a psychological and social motivation to share information, so for self-transcending to occur you have to oppose another reason.
Second, people, as members of a group, care. This means that people try to maintain a positive image of their group and avoid information that has negative implications for their image.
Finally, a person who has knowledge of new relevant and undisclosed information will have a dilemma, this dilemma will arise when this information can cause harm, since it violates a norm, dogma, ideology or value.
The level of dilemma can vary from person to person and depends on the type of information, context, or other factors, however, a person always finds at least a minimum level of dilemma when practicing self-cens.
There are four factors that contribute to self-nsorship. These are: the context of the group, the individual factors, the type of information and the circumstantial facts. The importance of the collective context is that it dictates the needs and objectives of society members and the challenges to achieving them.
It also offers opportunities and limitations, stimuli and inhibitions, as well as spaces and limits for human behavior. In terms of individual factors, personality traits, worldview, values, ideologies, emotions, attitudes and motivations will influence self-nsorship.
In terms of the type of information, the severity of the information, the relevance to the present, the type of act involving information, information objects and information problems will influence self-censity.
In addition, the conjunctural factors associated with the collection of information, the number of people who know it, the time elapsed since the information was obtained and the characteristics of the public to whom the information will be disclosed (identity, role, status). , etc. ). ) will influence self-nsorship.
With this in mind, the person calculates subjective costs and rewards for each decision, and then faces the dilemma that arises when resolving dissonance. The outcome of these personal subjective considerations determines whether a person will disclose the information, to whom, if they will. only part or all of the information, or whether you will practice self-nsorship.