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Nonlinear Sciences > Adaptation and Self-Organizing Systems

arXiv:2411.04681 (nlin)
[Submitted on 7 Nov 2024]

Title:A dynamical model of platform choice and online segregation

Authors:Sven Banisch, Dennis Jacob, Tom Willaert, Eckehard Olbrich
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Abstract:In order to truly understand how social media might shape online discourses or contribute to societal polarization, we need refined models of platform choice, that is: models that help us understand why users prefer one social media platform over another. This study develops a dynamic model of platform selection, extending Social Feedback Theory by incorporating multi-agent reinforcement learning to capture how user decisions are shaped by past rewards across different platforms. A key parameter ($\mu$) in the model governs users' tendencies to either seek approval from like-minded peers or engage with opposing views. Our findings reveal that online environments can evolve into suboptimal states characterized by polarized, strongly opinionated echo chambers, even when users prefer diverse perspectives. Interestingly, this polarizing state coexists with another equilibrium, where users gravitate toward a single dominant platform, marginalizing other platforms into extremity. Using agent-based simulations and dynamical systems analysis, our model underscores the complex interplay of user preferences and platform dynamics, offering insights into how digital spaces might be better managed to foster diverse discourse.
Subjects: Adaptation and Self-Organizing Systems (nlin.AO); Social and Information Networks (cs.SI); Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph)
MSC classes: 91C20, 91D10, 68U20, 37N25, 37M05
ACM classes: J.4; K.4.3; H.1.2; I.2.11; I.6.3; I.6.5
Cite as: arXiv:2411.04681 [nlin.AO]
  (or arXiv:2411.04681v1 [nlin.AO] for this version)
  https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2411.04681

Submission history

From: Sven Banisch [view email]
[v1] Thu, 7 Nov 2024 13:08:26 UTC (4,674 KB)
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