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Patterns of partisan toxicity and engagement reveal the common structure of online political communication across countries
Title / Series / Name
Publication Volume
Publication Issue
Pages
Editors
Keywords
Canada
Communication
Europe
France
Germany
Humans
Italy
Poland
Politics
Social Media
Spain
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
Communication
Europe
France
Germany
Humans
Italy
Poland
Politics
Social Media
Spain
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14018/26851
Abstract
Existing studies of political polarization are often limited to a single country and one form of polarization, hindering a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. Here we investigate patterns of polarization online across nine countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey, UK, USA), focusing on the structure of political interaction networks, the use of toxic language targeting out-groups, and how these factors relate to user engagement. First, we show that political interaction networks are structurally polarized on Twitter (currently X). Second, we reveal that out-group interactions, defined by the network, are more toxic than in-group interactions, indicative of affective polarization. Third, we show that out-group interactions receive lower engagement than in-group interactions. Finally, we identify a common ally-enemy structure in political interactions, show that political mentions are more toxic than apolitical mentions, and highlight that interactions between politically engaged accounts are limited and rarely reciprocated. These results hold across countries and represent a step towards a stronger cross-country understanding of polarization.
Topic
Publisher
Place of Publication
Type
Journal article
Date
2024-11-14
Language
ISBN
Identifiers
10.1038/s41467-024-53868-0