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The digital evolution of occupy wall street
Michael D Conover1, Emilio Ferrara, Filippo Menczer
1Center for Complex Networks and Systems Research, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA. midconov@indiana.edu
Plos One
|June 5, 2013
Summary
This study analyzed Twitter data to understand the Occupy Wall Street movement. It found that highly connected users interested in politics initially engaged but later lost interest in Occupy discussions.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Communication Studies
- Digital Sociology
Background:
- The Occupy Wall Street movement was a significant anti-capitalist protest.
- Understanding digital communication patterns is crucial for analyzing social movements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the temporal evolution of digital communication related to the Occupy Wall Street movement.
- To investigate changes in participant engagement, interests, and social connectivity on Twitter over a 15-month period.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a high-volume Twitter dataset.
- Tracking user engagement, interests, and social connectivity.
- Longitudinal study design covering 15 months, starting three months pre-protest.
Main Results:
- Occupy Wall Street discussions on Twitter primarily involved highly interconnected users.
- Participants had pre-existing interests in domestic politics and foreign social movements.
- User engagement and interest in Occupy discussions peaked early and declined over time.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights the role of pre-existing networks and interests in social movement participation online.
- Digital engagement with the Occupy movement was concentrated among a core group whose interest waned.
- Twitter communication patterns offer insights into the dynamics of online social movements.
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