”Holy shit!!! Jos tuo ei herätä ihmisiä niin sitten ei mikään!” Salaliittoteoreettinen populistinen kuvittelu ja tunnestruktuurit sosiaalisessa mediassa

Artikkeli analysoi salaliittoteorioita populistisena kuvitteluna suomenkielisen sosiaalisen median keskusteluissa pandemiavuonna 2020–2021. Artikkelissa populismia tarkastellaan poliittisena genrenä, joka tuottaa ja ylläpitää tietynlaista poliittista kuvittelua ja tunnestruktuuria sekä perustuu tietynlaiseen ideologiseen maailmankuvaan, uskomuksiin sekä käsitykseen todellisuudesta. Tutkimusote on monimenetelmällinen ja yhdistää verkkoetnografista havainnointia ja laskennallisia menetelmiä. Aineisto on koottu Telegramista, Twitteristä sekä kahdelta herätyskristilliseltä verkkosivustolta neljästä uutistapahtumasta maaliskuun 2020 ja maaliskuun 2021 välillä. Tutkimuksemme valottaa niitä moninaisia tapoja, joilla salaliittoteoriat olivat osa populistista genreä ja populistisen tunnestruktuurin tuottamista suomalaisessa sosiaalisessa mediassa ensimmäisen pandemiavuoden aikana.Peer reviewe

Characterizing the behavioral evolution of twitter users and the truth behind the 90-9-1 rule

Online Social Networks (OSNs) represent a fertile field to collect real user data and to explore OSNs user behavior. Recently, two topics are drawing the attention of researchers: the evolution of online social roles and the question of participation inequality. In this work, we bring these two fields together to study and characterize the behavioral evolution of OSNs users according to the quantity and the typology of their social interactions. We found that online participation on the microblogging platform can be categorized into four different activity levels. Furthermore, we empirically verified that the 90-9-1 rule of thumb about participation inequality is not an accurate representation of reality. Findings from our analysis reveal that lurkers are less than expected: they are not 9 out of 10 as suggested by Nielsen, but 3 out of 4. This represents a significant result that can give new insights on how users relate with social media and how their use is evolving towards a more active interaction with the new generation of consumers

SWIPING AWAY TEARS: INCELS, DATING APPLICATIONS, AND SOCIAL SUPPORTS

Little is known about involuntary celibates (incels) despite their emergence over a decade ago. It wasn’t until after multiple violent attacks took place in North America—which have since occurred elsewhere—that researchers began exploring this group of young men who congregate online. Much of this work has focused on the discourse that takes place in various incel forums, highlighting the misogynistic and entitled language used by incels in disparaging comments about women and their more successful male brethren. There is, however, a discrepancy between forum posts and the sheer volume of self-identified incels who partake in these forums, making it difficult to determine whether current qualitative and textual analyses reflect incels themselves or their online communities. Such efforts also negate the individual experiences of incels and the characteristics that they bring to these forums. The present studies sought to explore the dating application experiences of incels, their mental and relational health, social supports, feelings of loneliness, and responses to rejection. In Study 1, 38 incels and 107 non-incel males reported on several aspects of their dating applications usage as well as measures of mental health function (depression and dating anxiety) and relational health (attachment styles, fear of being single, relationship-contingent self-esteem, and rejection sensitivity). Results indicated that incels had far less success in using dating apps despite adopting more liberal criteria. Greater endorsement of mental and relational health was also present in incels, which were related to their perceived popularity on dating applications. Study 2 (67 incels, 103 non-incels) introduced the roles of social support and isolation on mental and relational health and coping. Again, incels demonstrated more detrimental outcomes than non-incels, repeating the results of Study 1 while also reporting less social support and greater feelings of loneliness. Incels also endorsed fewer healthy coping mechanisms, with the exception of venting. The results of the current program of research demonstrate the volume of adverse outcomes experienced by incels, who clearly struggle to find prosocial ways to adapt and cope with a competitive dating market. It repeatedly emphasises the role of attachment and self-image as unique predictors of incel status, which may contribute to concerning online behaviour and should be high priority items for clinicians working with this population. How these findings can be incorporated to better contextualize qualitative analyses of incel forums is also discussed