Analyzing change in network polarization

Abstract

The growing influence of social media in an era of media fragmentation has amplified concerns of political polarization. Yet relatively few studies have analyzed polarization in user networks over time. This study therefore examines change in network polarization on Twitter during a highly contested general election. Using Twitter’s REST API, user networks of 3000 randomly selected followers of well-known partisan and entertainment-oriented accounts were recorded 17 times in the 7 months leading up to the 2016 general election. Results suggest that partisan users form highly partisan networks on Twitter, while moderate, or less engaged, users continue to mostly avoid politics.