Pizza Talk III: Online-Firestorms - Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks
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The document discusses online firestorms, defined as sudden outbreaks of negative word-of-mouth against individuals or organizations on social media. It analyzes the dynamics of these phenomena, particularly through the case study of Rolling Stone magazine's controversial cover featuring Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Various factors influencing the spread and impact of online firestorms are highlighted, including the rapid dissemination of information, the role of social media platforms, and the tendency for opinions to form in binary ways.
Pizza Talk III: Online-Firestorms - Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks
- 1. 82 1 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Pizza Talk III: Online-Firestorms Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks! Sunbelt XXXIV Thomas Zorbach & Jürgen Pfeffer February 21st 2014, St. Pete Beach, FL! Center for Computa-onal Analysis of Social and Organiza-onal Systems
- 2. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Agenda Online-‐Firestorms – The dark side of word of mouth – What is it? – How does it work? – What can we do? Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks!
- 3. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer A German problem? → Poli%cians, celebri%es, companies under heavy fire Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks! 3
- 4. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Unse3ledness in Poli6cs and Business “Let’s be;er not say anything. Otherwise, we’ll have an online firestorm tomorrow!” (Angela Merkel, Bundeskanzlerin) → Sign of the participatory culture (Jenkins, 2006) Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks! 4
- 5. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Anglicism of the Year 2011 in Germany „Shitstorm fills the gap in German vocabulary that was opened up by changes in the public debate culture.“ → Kick off for research project Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks! 5
- 6. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Intercultural Differences “Shitstorm” vs. “Online-‐Firestorm” → “Title is not appropriate” Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks!
- 7. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Defini6on “An Online-‐Firestorm is a phenomenon that describes the sudden discharge of large quan%%es of nega%ve word of mouth and complaint behavior against a person, company, or group in social media networks, oHen paired with intense indigna%on that has shiHed its focus from an actual point of cri%cism.“ Pfeffer, J. & Zorbach, T. & Carley, K.M. (2013). Understanding online firestorms: Nega%ve word of mouth dynamics in social media networks. Journal of Marke%ng Communica%ons Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks! 7
- 8. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Case Study: Rolling Stone Magazine → Cover showing Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks! 8
- 9. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Rolling Stone Firestorm -‐ Analysis TwiVer data used: – ~1.5% of all tweets are geo-‐tagged – Long-‐term collec-on of US geo-‐Tweets – “rollingstone” or “rolling stone” Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks!
- 10. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Empirical Observa6ons/Factors Constant flow of informa6on, short informa6on half-‐life • Real-‐-me messages in social media create a constant flow of communica-on • Many people can be reached within a short period of -me • Result: Temporal dominance of a single topic • Communica-on/reac-on cycle – Tradi-onal newspaper: 1 day – Social media: hours or minutes • Half-‐Life (Burton and Kebler, 1960) of social media informa-on: – Hours or even minutes (Fang, 2007). • TwiVer: Cri-cal role in the propaga-on of all online firestorms → Speed and volume Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks! 10
- 11. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Tweets/Day Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks!
- 12. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Rolling Stone Firestorm -‐ Numbers • Peak: 7/17 + 7/18 • 5,836 tweets, 4,571 different users • 60 users with min. 5 tweets (=473 tweets) Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks!
- 13. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Empirical Observa6ons/Factors No gradualist opinions, absence of discursive interac6ons • Opinion-‐forming systems without sophis-cated or gradualist opinions • Re-‐tweet, ‘like’, or ‘+1’ • Decision-‐making process as binary choices (Schelling, 1973) • ”either-‐or situa-ons” → Binary choices Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks! 13
- 14. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Rolling Stone Firestorm -‐ Retweets RT @LisaLampanelli: Poll: 65% of Americans thought Rolling Stone cover w Boston Bomber was inappropriate. Other 35% thought John Mayer grew… Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks!
- 15. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Empirical Observa6ons/Factors Friends act as informa6on source and as filter • Connec-ons tend to be based on homophily (McPherson et al., 2001) – similar in age, gender, and socio-‐economic status • Plus: Technology filters informa-on based on interests • Filter bubble (Pariser, 2011) is a concept which refers to over-‐ emphasizing the importance of single topics or opinions → Lack of diversity Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks! 15
- 16. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Rolling Stone Firestorm -‐ Top users? • Top 10 user and their number of geo-‐tweets in July 2013: – – – – – – – – – – trendinaliaUS Boston_CP ChelseaKrost IndianapolisCP Logan_Rosalez JDawgMadden LisaG_325 MaVhewKeysLive TimothyODonnel2 GlutenFreeDog 9,741 7,612 7,314 6,873 3,377 3,301 3,266 2,784 2,645 1,848 • Spammers, bots? Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks!
- 17. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Empirical Observa6ons/Factors Amplified epidemic spreading, network clusters • Transi-ve link crea-ons (Heider, 1946) C A B • Social media systems intensify this effect with link sugges-ons → Network clusters & echo chambers Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks! 17
- 18. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Empirical Observa6ons/Factors Offline and online media reinforce one another • Social media are an important informa-on source for tradi-onal media (Diakopoulos et al., 2012). • TwiVer is used as “radar” • “Sharability” triggers prolifera-on in social media Tradi-onal Social Media Media → Cross media dynamics Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks! 18
- 19. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Rolling Stone Firestorm – Media Dynamics • 702 re-‐tweets: – – – – RT @nytimes: CVS and Walgreens 35% RT @ny-mes Ban an Issue of Rolling Stone http:// 24% RT @OpieRadio t.co/6mSRHuT671 30% RTs from 5 journalists Almost all are re-‐tweets from media outlets RT @OpieRadio: The news shows outrage for the Rolling Stone cover by SHOWING THE ROLLING STONE COVER. #Dopes Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks!
- 20. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer Empirical Observa6ons/Factors Modified opinion adop6on process, dominant network effects Diffusion and adop-on process (Rogers, 1995): • Knowledge Filter Bubble – The agent gets in contact with a new opinion or belief. • Persuasion Echo Chamber – The agent starts to have a posi-ve or nega-ve stance. Re-‐infec-on. • Decision – The opinion or belief is accepted or rejected. • Propaga%on – The agent starts to ac-vely propagate the opinion or belief. Infec-on. • Affirma%on Echo Chamber – Posi-ve feedback encourages, nega-ve feedback destabilizes. → Cogni%ve processes get replaced by network effects! Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks! 20
- 21. Thomas Zorbach, Jürgen Pfeffer “Our mission is to go forward, and it has only just begun. There's still much to do, still so much to learn. Engage!” Jean-Luc Picard, TNG Season 1 Ep. 26 Thomas Zorbach t.zorbach@vm-‐people.de @vmpeople Jürgen Pfeffer jpfeffer@cs.cmu.edu @JurgenPfeffer Online-Firestorms. Negative Dynamics in Social Media Networks!