Do social media undermine social cohesion? A critical review DOI Creative Commons
Sandra González‐Bailón, Yphtach Lelkes

Social Issues and Policy Review, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 17(1), P. 155 - 180

Published: Dec. 31, 2022

Abstract We evaluate the empirical evidence interrogating question of whether social media erodes cohesion. look at how networks, information exchange, and norms operate on these platforms. also conditions under which can be conducive to forming capital encouraging prosocial behavior. discuss psychological mechanisms that individual level assess create environment incentives sustain cooperation constructive exchange. Our discussion literature centers attitudes, perceptions, beliefs are formed during type online interactions encouraged by platforms, their design, affordances. consider policy implications existing research, focusing studies may inform regulatory efforts platform interventions.

Language: Английский

Dynamics of online hate and misinformation DOI Creative Commons
Matteo Cinelli, Andraž Pelicon, Igor Mozetič

et al.

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 11(1)

Published: Nov. 11, 2021

Abstract Online debates are often characterised by extreme polarisation and heated discussions among users. The presence of hate speech online is becoming increasingly problematic, making necessary the development appropriate countermeasures. In this work, we perform detection on a corpus more than one million comments YouTube videos through machine learning model, trained fine-tuned large set hand-annotated data. Our analysis shows that there no evidence “pure haters”, meant as active users posting exclusively hateful comments. Moreover, coherently with echo chamber hypothesis, find skewed towards two categories video channels (questionable, reliable) prone to use inappropriate, violent, or language within their opponents’ community. Interestingly, loyal reliable sources average toxic counterpart. Finally, overall toxicity discussion increases its length, measured both in terms number time. results show that, Godwin’s law, tend degenerate exchanges views.

Language: Английский

Citations

66

Polarized information ecosystems can reorganize social networks via information cascades DOI Open Access
Christopher K. Tokita, Andrew M. Guess, Corina E. Tarnita

et al.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 118(50)

Published: Dec. 6, 2021

Significance Many argue that partisan media coverage creates political polarization by pushing people’s opinions to extremes, but evidence is mixed. We instead propose can cause altering social connections and reorganizing networks along lines. Using computational modeling data, we explore how people may adjust their ties avoid the sharing behavior of friends who might be engaging with news from nonpreferred information sources. Our model suggests driven a large extent unfollowing, which gradually—and inadvertently—produce homogeneous online networks, known reduce exposure challenging encourage outgroup hostility. In this way, institutional reverberate through networked mass public.

Language: Английский

Citations

64

The marketplace of rationalizations DOI Creative Commons
Daniel R. Williams

Economics and Philosophy, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 39(1), P. 99 - 123

Published: March 3, 2022

Abstract Recent work in economics has rediscovered the importance of belief-based utility for understanding human behaviour. Belief ‘choice’ is subject to an important constraint, however: people can only bring themselves believe things which they find rationalizations. When preferences similar beliefs are widespread, this constraint generates rationalization markets, social structures agents compete produce rationalizations exchange money and rewards. I explore nature such draw on political media illustrate their characteristics behaviour, highlight implications motivated cognition misinformation.

Language: Английский

Citations

63

Most users do not follow political elites on Twitter; those who do show overwhelming preferences for ideological congruity DOI Creative Commons
Magdalena Wojcieszak, Andreu Casas, Xudong Yu

et al.

Science Advances, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 8(39)

Published: Sept. 30, 2022

We offer comprehensive evidence of preferences for ideological congruity when people engage with politicians, pundits, and news organizations on social media. Using 4 years data (2016-2019) from a random sample 1.5 million Twitter users, we examine three behaviors studied separately to date: (i) following in-group versus out-group elites, (ii) sharing information (retweeting), (iii) commenting the shared (quote tweeting). find that majority users (60%) do not follow any political elites. Those who elite accounts at much higher rates than (90 10%), share elites 13 times more frequently often add negative comments information. Conservatives are twice as likely liberals content. These patterns robust, emerge across issues exist regardless users' extremity.

Language: Английский

Citations

59

Do social media undermine social cohesion? A critical review DOI Creative Commons
Sandra González‐Bailón, Yphtach Lelkes

Social Issues and Policy Review, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 17(1), P. 155 - 180

Published: Dec. 31, 2022

Abstract We evaluate the empirical evidence interrogating question of whether social media erodes cohesion. look at how networks, information exchange, and norms operate on these platforms. also conditions under which can be conducive to forming capital encouraging prosocial behavior. discuss psychological mechanisms that individual level assess create environment incentives sustain cooperation constructive exchange. Our discussion literature centers attitudes, perceptions, beliefs are formed during type online interactions encouraged by platforms, their design, affordances. consider policy implications existing research, focusing studies may inform regulatory efforts platform interventions.

Language: Английский

Citations

59