Researchers say posts are polarized between right and left; users treat others as allies or enemies
A study published by the magazine this Thursday (14.nov.2024) indicates the existence of a “high toxicity” in interactions about politics on X (formerly Twitter). Here is it (PDF – 2 MB, in English).
According to the researchers, publications related to the topic on the social network are also “structurally polarized”. This polarization aligns mainly with the right and left political spectrums.
Another conclusion presented is that interactions between opposing ideological groups are more toxic than those carried out within the same group. Users treat others as allies or enemies, depending on their political stance. They share and engage more with posts that present similar ideals.
This indicates the presence of what the study calls “affective polarization”where users express more animosity towards political opponents.
The researchers also claim that users classified as right-wing have a tendency to share or reference news sources considered less trustworthy compared to left-leaning users.
Online polarization was assessed in 9 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey, UK, USA). Researchers analyzed 375 million tweets published during a 24-hour period in September 2022.
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