Study Finds A Small Minority Dominates Online Political Debates

A small, unrepresentative group controls online political discussions while most people stay silent, according to a new study published in Science Advances. Researchers created six private Reddit communities with 520 Americans discussing 20 political topics over four weeks. While 331 participants posted at least once, a handful generated most of the 5,819 total comments, with some writing over 100 posts. The study found people who stayed quiet perceived discussions as more toxic and unconstructive than active commenters. Conversely, users who saw environments as polarized or toxic posted even more frequently. Financial incentives of up to $40 barely increased participation, and civility reminders had no measurable effect. The findings suggest online political discourse creates a “funhouse mirror” of public opinion dominated by conflict-comfortable voices. (Story URL)