The Spatial Dimension of Online Echo Chambers

TL;DR

This paper investigates how geographic proximity influences echo-chamber communication on Twitter during Brexit, revealing that physical closeness correlates with polarization in the Leave campaign but not in the Remain campaign.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence linking geographic proximity to echo chambers, highlighting differences between political sides during the Brexit referendum.

Findings

Geographic proximity correlates with echo chambers in the Leave campaign.

In the Remain campaign, geographic distance is associated with echo chambers.

The study advances understanding of spatial factors in online political polarization.

Abstract

This study explores the geographic dependencies of echo-chamber communication on Twitter during the Brexit referendum campaign. We review the literature on filter bubbles, echo chambers, and polarization to test five hypotheses positing that echo-chamber communication is associated with homophily in the physical world, chiefly the geographic proximity between users advocating sides of the campaign. The results support the hypothesis that echo chambers in the Leave campaign are associated with geographic propinquity, whereas in the Remain campaign the reverse relationship was found. This study presents evidence that geographically proximate social enclaves interact with polarized political discussion where echo-chamber communication is observed. The article concludes with a discussion of these findings and the contribution to research on filter bubbles and echo chambers.