Ideology and polarization set the agenda on social media

The abundance of information on social media has reshaped public discussions, shifting attention to the mechanisms that drive online discourse. This study analyzes large-scale Twitter (now X) data from three global debates—Climate Change, COVID-19, and the Russo-Ukrainian War—to investigate the stru...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 35816 - 13
Main Authors: Loru, Edoardo, Galeazzi, Alessandro, Bonetti, Anita, Sangiorgio, Emanuele, Di Marco, Niccolò, Cinelli, Matteo, Falkenberg, Max, Baronchelli, Andrea, Quattrociocchi, Walter
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 14.10.2025
Nature Publishing Group
Nature Portfolio
Subjects:
639/705/1046
639/766/530/2801
Climate Change
Collaboration
COVID-19
COVID-19 - epidemiology
COVID-19 vaccines
Debates
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
Ideological Alignment
Ideology
Immunization
multidisciplinary
Narratives
Online Discourse
Online Engagement
Polarization
Public Debates
Russia-Ukraine War
SARS-CoV-2
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Social Media
Social networks
Ukraine
Polarization
Ideological Alignment
Online Discourse
Online Engagement
Social Media
Public Debates
ISSN:2045-2322, 2045-2322
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The abundance of information on social media has reshaped public discussions, shifting attention to the mechanisms that drive online discourse. This study analyzes large-scale Twitter (now X) data from three global debates—Climate Change, COVID-19, and the Russo-Ukrainian War—to investigate the structural dynamics of engagement. Our findings reveal that discussions are not primarily shaped by specific categories of actors, such as media or activists, but by shared ideological alignment. Users consistently form polarized communities, where their ideological stance in one debate predicts their positions in others. This polarization transcends individual topics, reflecting a broader pattern of ideological divides. Furthermore, the influence of individual actors within these communities appears secondary to the reinforcing effects of selective exposure and shared narratives. Overall, our results underscore that ideological alignment, rather than actor prominence, plays a central role in structuring online discourse and shaping the spread of information in polarized environments.
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ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-19776-z