The current paper explains how modern technology interacts with human psychology to
create a funhouse mirror version of social norms. We argue that norms generated on social …

Social media provides its users with uninterrupted access to information for a variety of
matters. On the one hand, social media helps people to express themselves freely and …

This article takes up the popular argument that much online discussion is toxic and hence
harmful to democracy, and argues that the pervasiveness of incivility is not incompatible with …

This paper investigates online propaganda strategies of the Internet Research Agency (IRA)—
Russian “trolls”—during the 2016 US presidential election. We assess claims that the IRA …

Affective polarization—growing animosity and hostility between political rivals—has become
increasingly characteristic of Western politics. While this phenomenon is well-documented …

Using the theoretical framework of the Reinforcing Spirals Model, we examine over-time
relationships between partisan political discussion and affective political polarization using …

Political campaigning on social media is a core feature of contemporary democracy.
However, evidence of the effectiveness of this type of campaigning is thin. This study tests …

This study implements a computer-assisted content analysis to identify which social
grooming factors reduce social media users' incivility when commenting or posting about the …

Social networking sites (SNSs) have the potential to be effective in facilitating exposure to
disagreement. However, whether exposure to disagreement leads to fostering democratic …

A survey of 3,441 US social media users showed that a high portion believes in conspiracy
theories, and their beliefs vary widely along the party lines and socio-demographic factors …