The Political Consequences of Online Disagreement: The Filtering of Communication Networks in a Polarized Political Context
The present study challenges prevailing beliefs and research on the role of social media in supporting deliberation and an active public sphere. Based on a two-wave online panel survey ( n = 791) of the adult population of Hong Kong, as one case of a politically polarized society, we examine the de...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Social Media + Society |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051221114391 |
| _version_ | 1811288279389044736 |
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| author | Xinzhi Zhang Wan-Ying Lin William H. Dutton |
| author_facet | Xinzhi Zhang Wan-Ying Lin William H. Dutton |
| author_sort | Xinzhi Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present study challenges prevailing beliefs and research on the role of social media in supporting deliberation and an active public sphere. Based on a two-wave online panel survey ( n = 791) of the adult population of Hong Kong, as one case of a politically polarized society, we examine the degree to which individuals disconnect from those with whom they politically disagree with on social media. The analysis indicates that exposure to disagreement does indeed lead people to filter their information repertoire by disconnecting from those with whom they disagree. A moderated mediation analysis finds that political disagreement indirectly influenced activist participation through information repertoire filtration. However, in contrast to expectations, this effect was stronger when individuals had a lower level of affective polarization. Our findings underscore the value of focusing on the behavior of users to complement research on access to information about politics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:33:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ebb076217d6b4058a4470f5d3ea26310 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2056-3051 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:33:15Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Media + Society |
| spelling | doaj.art-ebb076217d6b4058a4470f5d3ea263102022-12-22T03:04:24ZengSAGE PublishingSocial Media + Society2056-30512022-07-01810.1177/20563051221114391The Political Consequences of Online Disagreement: The Filtering of Communication Networks in a Polarized Political ContextXinzhi Zhang0Wan-Ying Lin1William H. Dutton2Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SARCity University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SARUniversity of Oxford, UKThe present study challenges prevailing beliefs and research on the role of social media in supporting deliberation and an active public sphere. Based on a two-wave online panel survey ( n = 791) of the adult population of Hong Kong, as one case of a politically polarized society, we examine the degree to which individuals disconnect from those with whom they politically disagree with on social media. The analysis indicates that exposure to disagreement does indeed lead people to filter their information repertoire by disconnecting from those with whom they disagree. A moderated mediation analysis finds that political disagreement indirectly influenced activist participation through information repertoire filtration. However, in contrast to expectations, this effect was stronger when individuals had a lower level of affective polarization. Our findings underscore the value of focusing on the behavior of users to complement research on access to information about politics.https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051221114391 |
| spellingShingle | Xinzhi Zhang Wan-Ying Lin William H. Dutton The Political Consequences of Online Disagreement: The Filtering of Communication Networks in a Polarized Political Context Social Media + Society |
| title | The Political Consequences of Online Disagreement: The Filtering of Communication Networks in a Polarized Political Context |
| title_full | The Political Consequences of Online Disagreement: The Filtering of Communication Networks in a Polarized Political Context |
| title_fullStr | The Political Consequences of Online Disagreement: The Filtering of Communication Networks in a Polarized Political Context |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Political Consequences of Online Disagreement: The Filtering of Communication Networks in a Polarized Political Context |
| title_short | The Political Consequences of Online Disagreement: The Filtering of Communication Networks in a Polarized Political Context |
| title_sort | political consequences of online disagreement the filtering of communication networks in a polarized political context |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051221114391 |
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