Social media and modern news behavior: A mixed-methods investigation of news dissemination, political polarization, and the rise of echo chambers
摘要
Social media has transformed the news distribution and consumption processes. The change has brought up a lot of questions regarding fake news, political polarization, and the development of echo chambers. The present research delves into the aspects of how fast and accurate news sharing is, the part played by user-generated content, and the connection between the existence of the political conflict and the presence of the echo chambers. The study used a mixed-method research design. During the initial phase (Study A), semi-structured interviews were held with 57 people who used social media. These provided the basis for the first part of the research (Study A) in which 20 in-depth interviews were conducted, aiming at understanding participants’ motivations, algorithms, driven information provision, trust formation, and engagement with political content. Based on this, questionnaires for the second phase (Study B) were prepared and distributed to 542 people, from whom 525 valid responses were analyzed. Theoretical relationships were tested by means of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The manner in which individuals use social media, as well as their modern news consumption habits, may intensify the association between misinformation and attitude polarization. The results indicate that social media serves as a source of different kinds of information to users, including misinformation and polarization. The present investigation impels society to advocate for digital literacy, create morally sound platforms, and take part in policy discussions regarding the consequences of social media consumption for society in the distant future.