Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: Ideological homophily on social media has received increased scholarly interest as it is associated to the formation of filter-bubbles, echo-chambers and increased ideological polarization. Yet, there is no necessary linkage between ideological homophily, echo chambers, and polarization. In spite of political interactions on social media taking place to a large extent between like-minded individuals, cross-cutting interactions are also frequent. Using Twitter data, we investigate the extent to which ideological homophily, echo-chambers and polarization occur together and characterize the network of political Twitter users during the 2017 election in Norway. We do not find that, in spite of the presence of some degree of ideological homophily, evidence of echo-chambers in the Norwegian political Twittersphere during the 2017 election. Yet, the retweets network is characterized by a significant degree of polarization across ideological blocs. Our findings support the thesis according to which polarization on social media may have other drivers than the technological deterministic effect of social media affordances enhancing the formation of online echo-chambers.
Authors: Bernard Enjolras, Andrew Salway
Institutions: Institute for Social Research, University of Sussex
Language: English
Topic: Social Media and Politics
Subfield: Communication
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,890
Funder: Norges Forskningsråd
Awards: G5539502425, G6190017674
OpenAlex ID: W4312181503