User Archetypes and Information Dynamics on Telegram: COVID-19 and Climate Change Discourse in Singapore

TL;DR

This study analyzes Telegram discussions in Singapore on COVID-19 and climate change, identifying distinct user archetypes and modeling their influence on information dynamics to better understand social media discourse.

Contribution

It introduces a novel user classification model based on clustering Telegram users, revealing diverse archetypes shaping discourse on critical issues.

Findings

Identified four distinct user archetypes in Telegram groups.

Achieved high classification precision for user clusters.

Provided insights into information flow and influence patterns.

Abstract

Social media platforms, particularly Telegram, play a pivotal role in shaping public perceptions and opinions on global and national issues. Unlike traditional news media, Telegram allows for the proliferation of user-generated content with minimal oversight, making it a significant venue for the spread of controversial and misinformative content. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Telegram's popularity surged in Singapore, a country with one of the highest rates of social media use globally. We leverage Singapore-based Telegram data to analyze information flows within groups focused on COVID-19 and climate change. Using k-means clustering, we identified distinct user archetypes, including Strategic Disruptor, Empirical Enthusiast, Inquisitive Moderate, and Critical Examiner, each contributing uniquely to the discourse. We developed a model to classify users into these clusters (Precision: Climate change: 0.99; COVID-19: 0.95).