Belief Alignment vs Opinion Leadership: Understanding Cross-linguistic Digital Activism in K-pop and BLM Communities

TL;DR

This study investigates the motivations behind cross-cultural digital activism, finding that belief alignment is a primary driver rather than opinion leadership, with some evidence of increased belief similarity after interactions.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence that belief resonance, not opinion leaders, primarily drives cross-cultural digital activism, with insights from a Twitter case study involving K-pop and BLM.

Findings

Belief alignment is a key driver of cross-cultural activism.

Opinion leaders amplify but do not cause activism.

Interaction increased belief similarity between communities.

Abstract

The internet has transformed activism, giving rise to more organic, diverse, and dynamic social movements that transcend geo-political boundaries. Despite extensive research on the role of social media and the internet in cross-cultural activism, the fundamental motivations driving these global movements remain poorly understood. This study examines two plausible explanations for cross-cultural activism: first, that it is driven by influential online opinion leaders, and second, that it results from individuals resonating with emergent sets of beliefs, values, and norms. We conduct a case study of the interaction between K-pop fans and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement on Twitter following the murder of George Floyd. Our findings provide strong evidence that belief alignment, where people resonate with common beliefs, is a primary driver of cross-cultural interactions in digital activism. We also demonstrate that while the actions of potential opinion leaders--in this case, K-pop entertainers--may amplify activism and lead to further expressions of love and admiration from fans, they do not appear to be a direct cause of activism. Finally, we report some initial evidence that the interaction between BLM and K-pop led to slight increases in their overall belief similarity.