Measuring Narrative Polarization in Online Discourse
Researchers have developed a way to measure how polarized online narratives are in relation to real-world conflicts. They analyzed 212 YouTube videos and 90,029 comments on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict using a large language model. The study found that while videos often present highly polarized views, comments tend to converge on shared narrative structures, but still reveal differences between partisan environments.
Researchers have developed a way to measure how polarized online narratives are in relation to real-world conflicts. They analyzed 212 YouTube videos and 90,029 comments on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict using a large language model. The study found that while videos often present highly polarized views, comments tend to converge on shared narrative structures, but still reveal differences between partisan environments.
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Why it matters: This research matters because it sheds light on how online discourse contributes to polarization in real-world conflicts. Understanding the dynamics of narrative polarization can help inform strategies for mitigating the spread of misinformation and promoting more constructive dialogue.
Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.07398
This article was originally published at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.07398