Modeling Diffusion of Information in an Increasingly Complex Digital Domain

Abstract

Offering entertainment, discussion, and information, social media provides users with a stimulating online experience. Within the last five years, it has also become an increasingly popular medium for the consumption of news. News outlets publish articles and reports through social media, and by doing so influence their users in a way that corresponds with the outlet’s political leaning. Because social media outlets provide users with tailored content, the prevalence of biased news reporting reinforces the user’s political values and polarizes their beliefs. This thesis attempts to examine the relationships that give rise to this political polarization in social media and discusses possible opportunities to mitigate it.