Population polarization dynamics and next-generation social media algorithms

• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1712.06009
• Publication Date: 2017-01-01
• Authors: Neil F. Johnson; Pedro D. Manrique; Minzhang Zheng; Zhenfeng Cao; Juan Carlos Botero; Shixin Huang; Nathaniel M. Aden; Chaoyun Song; James R. Leady; Nicolás Velásquez; Elvira María Rest...
• Keywords: Human dynamics; Percolation (cognitive psychology)

We present a many-body theory that explains and reproduces recent observations of population polarization dynamics, is supported by controlled human experiments, addresses the controversy surrounding Internet's impact. It predicts whether how becomes polarized dictated nature underlying competition, rather than validity information individuals receive or their online bubbles. Building on this framework, we show next-generation social media algorithms aimed at pulling people together, will instead likely lead to an explosive percolation process generates new pockets extremes.