Hey guys, im new at OSU, im very confused o parking I heard I can pry $300 ans then take the shuttle but how do I know which shuttle to take, where to park and Ik it sounds stupid but I’m new to this game
I’ll be a new student at OSU from cscc, im lowkey nervous coming to a bigger campus. How am I gonna find “my group” especially with my major being mostly men. I want girl friends (im a girl) ideally I wanna join a sorority but I’m really scared of that. Any advice ?
after my graddma passed, is been two weeks, throughout her sickness we asked for prayed and prayed about it, there were moments of hope so we thought everything was gonna be okay. But she passed a day after my birthday in the same month that my grandpa passed a year ago, funny thing my whole family is born in the month of July, including my grandparents. I know God is all powerful He's capable of healing and doing anything and what I'm struggling with is why didn't He heal her I mean she had a whole community praying behind her and it feels like God didn't listen. idk for the first time in years this Sunday I didn't go to church bc I think life is pointless now , idk.
Whether we like it or not, the media affects what we pay attention to every day. News stories, social media, and even the TV shows, all influence what we talk about. After reading these two chapters, I’ve realized that communication theories help explain why some issues become major topics while others receive very little to no attention. West and Turner (2025) explains that communication theories help us understand how media shapes people's thoughts, opinions, and behaviors.
The two theories that stood out to me were Agenda-Setting Theory and the Spiral of Silence Theory. Even though they focus on different aspects of communication, both explain how public opinion is shaped. Agenda-Setting Theory focuses on how the media influences the issues people think are important, while the Spiral of Silence Theory explains why people sometimes stay quiet when they think their opinion is unpopular (West & Turner, 2025). In this paper, I will explain both theories and apply them to examples from history, work, and social media to show how they still affect our society today.
Agenda-Setting Theory was developed after researchers spent years trying to understand how the media influences public opinion. According to West and Turner (2025), early scholars such as Robert Park, Walter Lippmann, and Harold Lasswell helped develop ideas that eventually became Agenda-Setting Theory. Their research focused on how journalists decide what information gets reported and how news coverage influences the public. Later, Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw tested these ideas during the 1968 presidential election and found that the issues receiving the most media coverage were often the same issues voters considered most important. This became one of the strongest pieces of evidence supporting Agenda-Setting Theory (West & Turner, 2025; McCombs & Valenzuela, 2021).
One thing I found interesting is that the theory does not say the media tells people what to think. But rather, it argues that the media tells us what to think about by deciding which stories receive the most attention and which ones doesn’t. If a topic appears in the news every day, people are more likely to believe it is an important issue. West and Turner (2025) explain this as first-level agenda setting, where repeated coverage increases the importance of an issue in the public's mind.
This theory also explains second-level agenda setting, sometimes called attribute salience. This means the media influences how people think about an issue by focusing on certain characteristics instead of others. For example, a news story can present the same event as either a success or a failure depending on what details receive the most attention. West and Turner (2025) also discuss need for orientation, which explains that people rely more on the media when an issue is important to them but they are unsure how to understand it. Neuman et al. (2014) argue that this process has become even stronger because traditional news and social media now influence one another, causing public attention to change much more quickly than it did in the past.
One historical example that demonstrates Agenda-setting theory is the Watergate scandal. I believe the Watergate scandal is one of the best examples of Agenda-Setting Theory because it shows how the media can change what people focus on. When the break-in first happened in 1972, it wasn't treated as a huge national story. However, reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein from The Washington Post kept investigating and publishing new information. As more news organizations began covering the story, Americans started paying much more attention to government corruption than they had before.
This example fits Agenda-Setting Theory because the media made Watergate one of the country's biggest issues. West and Turner (2025) explain that when the media repeatedly covers the same topic, people begin to see it as more important. The constant reporting also increased people's need for orientation because they wanted to understand what was going on and what it meant for their country. Eventually, the investigation led to congressional hearings and President Nixon's resignation.
Another example of Agenda-Setting Theory is how artificial intelligence is covered today. AI is discussed almost everywhere, from television news to TikTok and YouTube. While there are many positive uses for AI, news stories often focus on concerns like job loss, deepfakes, privacy, and misinformation.
This is an example of second-level agenda setting because the media isn't just telling people that AI is important it is also shaping how people think about it. Neuman et al. (2014) explain that news organizations and digital media now influence each other, making some topics and viewpoints spread much faster than before. Because people see these concerns so often, many begin to associate AI mainly with its risks instead of its benefits. This shows how media coverage can influence public opinion by deciding which parts of an issue receive the most attention.
The second theory I chose is the Spiral of Silence Theory, which I thought was incredibly interesting because it explains why people sometimes stay quiet even when they have something to say. According to West and Turner (2025), Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann developed this theory to explain how public opinion can influence whether people speak up or remain silent. The basic idea is that most people don't want to feel rejected or isolated from others, so they pay attention to what opinions seem to be popular before sharing their own or if they will even share.
One of the main ideas in this theory is the quasi-statistical sense. West and Turner (2025) explain that people are constantly observing conversations, news, and social media to figure out what most people think about an issue. If they believe their opinion is different from the majority, they may decide not to say anything because they are afraid of criticism or being left out. As more people stay silent, the majority opinion appears even stronger, creating what Noelle-Neumann called the "spiral of silence." You will see this a lot in TikTok comment section, where an unpopular comment will be made and if its different form the “norm” they get either tons of hate for trying to be “different” or they invalidate the person’s comment.
Another point that stood out to me is that public opinion is always changing. West and Turner (2025) explain that opinions change over time as society changes and new information becomes available. Jiang (2025) also points out that social media has made the theory even more relevant today because algorithms can make certain opinions seem more popular than they actually are. When people believe one opinion dominates online, they may be less willing to share a different point of view.
A good example of the Spiral of Silence Theory is something that can happen in the workplace. Imagine a manager introduces a new system that employees have to use every day. Right away, a few senior employees say they like the idea. Even if another employee believes the new system will create more work or cause problems, they might choose not to speak up because they don't want to seem negative or disagree with everyone else or even worse make their boss hate them for speaking against the system.
This example shows the Spiral of Silence Theory because the employee is paying attention to the opinions around them before deciding whether to speak or not. West and Turner (2025) explain that people often stay quiet when they think their opinion is in the minority because they fear criticism or social isolation. As more employees remain silent, it looks like everyone agrees with the decision, even if they actually don't.
I think social media is one of the easiest places to see the Spiral of Silence Theory today. When a controversial topic starts trending on platforms like X, Instagram, or TikTok, people quickly see thousands of comments supporting one side of the discussion. If someone has a different opinion, they may decide not to comment because they are worried about receiving negative replies or being attacked online.
Jiang (2025) explains that social media algorithms can make certain opinions appear more popular than they really are by showing users similar types of content over and over. Because of this, people may believe that their opinion is unpopular when it actually is not. As more users choose to stay silent, the dominant opinion appears even stronger, which keeps the spiral going on.
Looking at these examples, I can see how much influence the media has on our everyday lives. Agenda-Setting Theory helped me understand that the media doesn't simply report the news. It also influences what people pay attention to by deciding which stories receive the most coverage (West & Turner, 2025). The Watergate scandal and today's coverage of artificial intelligence both show how media attention can shape what the public views as important.
The Spiral of Silence Theory explains another side of communication by showing why people sometimes choose not to share their opinions. Whether it's during a meeting at work or while scrolling through social media, people often think about how others might react before thespeak. According to Jiang (2025), this is even more noticeable online because algorithms and popular opinions can influence how people see the climate of public opinion.
Overall, these theories helped me understand that communication is about much more than just sending or receiving messages. The media influences what we discuss, while social pressure can influence whether we feel comfortable joining the conversation or not. Even though these theories were developed years ago, They are still very much relevant because they help explain many of the communication issues we see today.
Hi everyone, so I've been a christian my whole life, I was born a christian, I'm 22F. My birthday was on the 17th of July and my grandmother passed on the 18th, I didn't hear about it till Sunday afternoon, due to the time difference. She is the one that raised me since my mother was not active in my life so she's basically my mother. I live with my dad now in the states, it's been 8 years since I've last seen her, but we talk on the phone almost everyday. anyways to the point, since she passed I've been questioning my faith, why did God take her away from me, I'm honestly struggling to make sense out of it. But I trust in the Lord nevertheless, I want to get to know him on a deeper level, understand the complexity of God, I finished the book Think, Act, Be like Jesus, but I want a rec to a book that will help me understand Him, I know the bible is the best way to go but I just want to know If there are any books like that and if any books in the bible also helped you in your journey please share. Thank you!
So this afternoon I got the news that mu grandma(she raised since I was two till I was 14 and moved in with my dad). It’s been only a couple of hours since the news. It feels like a nightmare i cry I feel like I’m in denial I’ve called her 12 times hoping that she will answer. I cannot believe im using “was” when talking about it or hearing my dad say it. Idk how to deal with it I feel like I’m losing my mind idk what to do. Im tryna havw faith in the moment as well, bc God knows best but in moments like this is extremely hard. I can’t even believe im typing this rn
Why do women stay with husbands who cheat on them, especially when it happens multiple times or involves something much worse? They stay and continue to complain instead of leaving. What is the psychological reason behind this?
Okay, I just turned 22 yesterday.
The Sunday before this past week, I told my dad that I wanted to go to Hocking Hills. He didn't agree with it, saying it didn't align with Christian values and that I should instead spend the day praying and thanking God. I didn't agree with that because, in my opinion, going to Hocking Hills doesn't conflict with being a Christian.
I planned to go to Hocking Hills with my guy best friend on Thursday morning, hike, stay in a cabin overnight, and come home Friday afternoon. On Wednesday evening, I reminded my dad about the trip and mentioned that I would be staying overnight. He said, "Oh, I didn't know you were staying overnight." I explained that I didn't have to work early Friday morning, so I wanted to spend the morning there before coming home in the afternoon.
He just shook his head and said, "Okay, whatever. You're 22, so do whatever you want." He said it in a very dismissive way. At that point, I didn't even want to continue the conversation, so I walked away. I also didn't tell him I was going with my guy best friend. He already knows him we've been best friends for five years, and I go places with him all the time, so it wasn't anything new.
I left Thursday morning. When we got to Hocking Hills, I texted the family group chat to let everyone know I had arrived safely. The next day, which was my birthday, my mom wished me a happy birthday in the family group chat. My dad never said anything.
I came home Friday afternoon, just like I said I would. I didn't text the family group chat that I was home because we have Ring cameras, so they could see that I had arrived. When my mom got home, she called my name to see if I was home and then gave me my birthday present.
The whole birthday went by, and my dad never wished me a happy birthday. He came home that evening while I was in my room with the lights off, listening to music. He never came into my room or said anything. I know he checks the Ring cameras, so I know he knew I was home.
This morning, my mom woke me up and asked why I didn't text my dad to let him know I made it home. I told her that I had already said I would be home Friday afternoon. Even though I didn't send a text, she still checked to see if I was home when she got back.
She basically told me that I need to apologize to my dad for not letting him know I made it home. I don't think I should. I'm already hurt that he couldn't even text me or tell me "Happy Birthday," and now I'm the one who's expected to apologize. I just don't think that's fair.
Am I wrong for feeling this way?
So I love sad, slow songs. I want more songs like this so any recs will be appreciated. For reference my fav artists are joji, sade, Micheal Jackson , CAS, Chase Atlantic, the crying nudes and James Arthur
Does anybody remember the type of questions that were on the final for calc based physics ? I underestimated how hard taking summer classes and working can be! Any help be greatly appreciated.