Study links negativity rise on social media to user differentiation
5 reported
A new study based on an analysis of over 2 billion Reddit comments and an experiment finds that online dialogue becomes more negative over time. Researchers suggest this negativity increases because social media users seek to make unique comments on the same topic, and it is easier to differentiate oneself through negative comments than positive ones. As threads and communities evolve, making unique observations more difficult, users reportedly turn to negativity. The study indicates that basic human motives interact with the structure of social media platforms, posing a challenge for sustaining healthy online dialogue.
What’s reported
The study involved an archival analysis of over 2 billion Reddit comments and an experiment.
The analysis shows that dialogue becomes more negative over time.
Negativity rises because users seek to make unique comments, and it is easier to differentiate through negative comments.
As threads and communities evolve, making unique observations harder, users turn to negativity.
The study suggests basic human motives interact with social media platform structure.
Key figures
Hongkai Mao (author of the study)
Kevin Lewis (credited as excellent source for the article)
Sources: marginalrevolution.com
