How does political labeling effect online communication?

Introduction

Political labeling and the use of online communication platforms have become central to modern political discourse. Researchers have explored how political labels and the nature of online interactions influence political engagement, polarization, and the dissemination of information. This synthesis examines the effects of political labeling on online communication, drawing insights from multiple research studies.

Key Insights

Moral-Emotional Language and Message Diffusion:
- Political elites using moral-emotional language see increased message diffusion, with conservative elites benefiting more from this strategy compared to liberal elites.
Personalized and Interactive Communication:
- Personalized and interactive online communication increases political involvement among citizens. The effects are stronger when personalization is combined with interactivity.
Exposure to Partisan Media:
- Greater exposure to partisan news can lead to short-lived increases in website visits and knowledge of recent events but does not significantly change opinions. However, it can erode trust in mainstream media over time.
Interaction with Political Outgroups:
- Regular interaction with political outgroups on social media can lead to sharing more moderate news articles. Conversely, those accustomed to echo chambers may polarize further when faced with outgroup audiences.
Effects of Opposing Views:
- Exposure to opposing political views on social media can increase political polarization. Republicans became more conservative after following a liberal Twitter bot, while Democrats showed a slight, non-significant increase in liberal attitudes after following a conservative bot.
Role of Political Knowledge and Efficacy:
- Political knowledge and efficacy mediate the relationship between news media use and political participation, highlighting the importance of the Internet in facilitating political engagement.
Self-Reinforcement Through Online Expression:
- Expressing political views online reinforces the expressers' partisan thought processes and hardens their pre-existing political preferences.

Conclusion

Political labeling and the nature of online communication significantly impact political engagement and polarization. The use of moral-emotional language by political elites, personalized and interactive communication, and exposure to partisan media all play crucial roles in shaping online political discourse. While interaction with political outgroups can moderate views, it can also lead to increased polarization, particularly for those entrenched in echo chambers. Additionally, online political expression tends to reinforce existing beliefs, further contributing to political polarization. Overall, the dynamics of online communication and political labeling are complex and multifaceted, influencing both individual political behavior and broader societal trends.

How does political labeling effect online communication?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

An ideological asymmetry in the diffusion of moralized content on social media among political leaders.

Conservative political elites gain greater influence on social media when using moral-emotional language, while liberal elites gain less influence, with specific moral emotion expressions impacting all political elites.

Getting closer: The effects of personalized and interactive online political communication

Personalized and interactive online political communication increases citizens' political involvement, with personalization further strengthening the effects of interactivity on involvement.

Political Effects of the Internet and Social Media

Internet and social media influence voting, protests, attitudes, political polarization, xenophobia, and politicians' behavior, while also influencing fake news and autocratic regimes' surveillance strategies.

The consequences of online partisan media

Online partisan media during elections can increase website visits and knowledge, but its long-term impact is a decrease in trust in mainstream news.

How Partisan Online Environments Shape Communication with Political Outgroups

Regular interaction with political outgroups on social media leads to more politically moderate news articles, while those accustomed to online echo chambers polarize when faced with an outgroup audience.

Exposure to opposing views on social media can increase political polarization

Exposure to opposing political views on social media can increase political polarization, with Republicans becoming more conservative after following a liberal Twitter bot and Democrats showing slight liberal increases after following a conservative Twitter bot.

The Mediating Role of Knowledge and Efficacy in the Effects of Communication on Political Participation

Political knowledge and efficacy significantly mediate the relationship between communication and political participation, with the internet playing a growing role in facilitating political participation.

Did Social Media Really Matter? College Students' Use of Online Media and Political Decision Making in the 2008 Election

College students' attention to traditional internet sources is significantly related to political self-efficacy and involvement, while social media has no significant impact.

Influencing Myself: Self-Reinforcement Through Online Political Expression

Online political expression on social media and forums reinforces and hardens pre-existing political preferences, highlighting the importance of the internet in democracy.

Do Online Advertisements Increase Political Candidates’ Name Recognition or Favorability? Evidence from Randomized Field Experiments

Online advertisements for political candidates may increase recall but do not significantly increase name recognition or favorable evaluations among voters.

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