Quantifying the drivers behind collective attention in information ecosystems
Published in Journal of Physics: Complexity, 2021
Recommended citation: Calleja-Solanas, V., Pigani, E., Palazzi, M. J., Solé-Ribalta, A., Suweis, S., Borge-Holthoefer, J., and Meloni, S., 2021. Quantifying the drivers behind collective attention in information ecosystems. Journal of Physics: Complexity, 2(4), 045014.
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Abstract
Understanding human interactions in online communications is of paramount importance for our society. Alarming phenomena such as the spreading of fake news or the formation of echo-chambers can emerge in unhealthy communication environments and, ultimately, undermine the democratic discourse. In this context, unveiling the individual drivers that give rise to collective attention can help to conserve the health of our information ecosystems. Here, following a recently proposed analogy between natural and information ecosystems, we explore how competition for attention in online social networks and the strategies adopted by the users to maximize their visibility shape our communication dynamics.