Axel Bruns, Queensland University of Technology and Brenda Moon, Queensland University of Technology
‘Phatic sharing’ reclaims Twitter as a truly social network, rather than simply as a source of breaking news or a place for public debate between politicians, journalists, and activists.
An examination of the Twitter activity after the Québec mosque murders reveal that the majority showed sympathy towards the victims, but Russian trolls worked to spread antagonism and fake news.
By positioning himself as a loveable granddad to supporters and the punchline of a joke to his opposition, Zuma adroitly defangs the very serious charges against him.
An analysis of social media troll activity during the 2016 election campaign shows that exposure to Russian propaganda may have helped change American minds in favor of Republican candidate Trump.
In many instances, social media appears to be amplifying violence, creating a culture of impunity when perpetrators are not held accountable, and increasing insecurity and suspicion.
Axel Bruns, Queensland University of Technology; Daniel Angus, Queensland University of Technology, and Timothy Graham, Queensland University of Technology
Analysis of tweets from the election campaign reveal two key trends: independents are organising, and embattled Liberal candidates are having to take the fight to their rivals.
New regulations have been rolled out to counter the spread of misinformation during the campaign, but these steps will largely be ineffective in the fast-moving social media sphere
A group of researchers figured out which NBA teams featured the most egotistical players, and then tracked their performances over the course of a season.
When the 2011 Libyan civil war erupted, Twitter became a major instrument to air the rebels’ account of the conflict and present themselves internationally as a viable alternative to Moammar Gadhafi.
Consuming too much social media when users end up comparing their lives to others more glamorous can leave one with bad feelings say researchers. But pretending or fantasizing is not all bad either.