Rising tides or rising stars?: Dynamics of shared attention on Twitter during media events (1307.2785v1)

Abstract: "Media events" such as political debates generate conditions of shared attention as many users simultaneously tune in with the dual screens of broadcast and social media to view and participate. Are collective patterns of user behavior under conditions of shared attention distinct from other "bursts" of activity like breaking news events? Using data from a population of approximately 200,000 politically-active Twitter users, we compare features of their behavior during eight major events during the 2012 U.S. presidential election to examine (1) the impact of "media events" have on patterns of social media use compared to "typical" time and (2) whether changes during media events are attributable to changes in behavior across the entire population or an artifact of changes in elite users' behavior. Our findings suggest that while this population became more active during media events, this additional activity reflects concentrated attention to a handful of users, hashtags, and tweets. Our work is the first study on distinguishing patterns of large-scale social behavior under condition of uncertainty and shared attention, suggesting new ways of mining information from social media to support collective sensemaking following major events.

• The paper finds that during media events on Twitter, activity concentrates on elite users and retweets increase significantly (by 20%), contrasting with breaking news that fosters more distributed, interpersonal communication where replies decrease (by 40%).
• These findings suggest that media events on social media can reinforce existing hierarchies of influence, promoting 'rising stars' rather than democratizing attention.
• Understanding these dynamics can inform future AI/ML models for predicting social behavior during events and guide research across various domains like sports or entertainment.

Dynamics of Shared Attention on Twitter during Media Events

The paper "Rising tides or rising stars?: Dynamics of shared attention on Twitter during media events" by Yu-Ru Lin et al. explores how patterns of activity on Twitter change under conditions of shared attention during media events, distinguishing them from typical bursts of activity like breaking news events. Utilizing data from approximately 200,000 politically-active Twitter users, the research investigates the differential impacts of scheduled media events, such as presidential debates, in comparison to breaking news during the 2012 U.S. presidential election cycle.

Key Findings

The paper identifies significant deviations in user behavior correlated with media events as opposed to standard periods and breaking news events. During media events, users exhibit increased activity levels focused on a select group of users, hashtags, and tweets. Rather than fostering greater egalitarian engagement, these shifts suggest an intensified concentration of attention on already prominent or "elite" users, thus promoting "rising stars" instead of "rising tides" in communication.

Numerical Results

Some strong numerical results in this paper include:

• Increased Tweet Volumes: Tweet volumes during debates were 3-4 times greater than during other events.
• Decreased Interpersonal Communication: Compared to interpersonal communication seen during breaking news events, there was a 40% decline in directed communication, notably replies, during media events.
• Rise in Retweets: Retweet ratios increased by 20% compared to other non-media times, demonstrating heightened engagement with elite-generated content.

Implications and Future Developments

The implications of these findings extend beyond understanding Twitter behavior. The research suggests that media events, marked by high levels of shared attention, may reinforce existing hierarchies of influence within social media networks, aligning more closely with "rising stars" dynamics rather than democratizing attention among diverse voices. This concentration towards elite users underscores the role of social media in exacerbating existing disparities in attention and influence.

The theoretical implication revolves around the concept of media event-driven behavioral change, positing that social media users undergo significant behavioral transitions from highly fragmented states to highly ordered states of attention during such events. Future developments in AI and machine learning can harness these insights to better predict and analyze social behavior during significant political or cultural events, potentially guiding the design of algorithms for personalized or community-centric feed curation.

Moreover, exploring different domains such as sports or entertainment events could validate the theory further, expanding the applicability across various global or temporal contexts. Analyzing different sampling strategies or engaging in a mixed-method approach, including qualitative analyses, can provide deeper insights into content dynamics and user motivations driving these observed behaviors.

In summary, the paper provides a comprehensive analysis of how shared media events transform social media dynamics, contributing to broader discussions about the distribution of attention within socio-technical systems. By delineating these patterns, the paper opens pathways for future research and operational strategies to leverage social media as a tool for collective sensemaking during major events.