Polarized Patterns of Language Toxicity and Sentiment of Debunking Posts on Social Media

TL;DR

This study analyzes millions of social media debunking posts to understand how platform features, user engagement, and emotional expression influence toxicity and polarization in online political discussions.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of toxicity and polarization across Twitter and Reddit in debunking efforts related to U.S. elections and conspiracy theories.

Findings

Peripheral users significantly influence toxic discourse.

Platform mechanisms impact levels of polarization and toxicity.

Increased interaction correlates with reduced toxicity, especially on Reddit.

Abstract

The rise of misinformation and fake news in online political discourse poses significant challenges to democratic processes and public engagement. While debunking efforts aim to counteract misinformation and foster fact-based dialogue, these discussions often involve language toxicity and emotional polarization. We examined over 86 million debunking tweets and more than 4 million Reddit debunking comments to investigate the relationship between language toxicity, pessimism, and social polarization in debunking efforts. Focusing on discussions of the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections and the QAnon conspiracy theory, our analysis reveals three key findings: (1) peripheral participants (1-degree users) play a disproportionate role in shaping toxic discourse, driven by lower community accountability and emotional expression; (2) platform mechanisms significantly influence polarization, with Twitter amplifying partisan differences and Reddit fostering higher overall toxicity due to its structured, community-driven interactions; and (3) a negative correlation exists between language toxicity and pessimism, with increased interaction reducing toxicity, especially on Reddit. We show that platform architecture affects informational complexity of user interactions, with Twitter promoting concentrated, uniform discourse and Reddit encouraging diverse, complex communication. Our findings highlight the importance of user engagement patterns, platform dynamics, and emotional expressions in shaping polarization in debunking discourse. This study offers insights for policymakers and platform designers to mitigate harmful effects and promote healthier online discussions, with implications for understanding misinformation, hate speech, and political polarization in digital environments.