Article
What's Happening? What Trending Topics Can Tell Us About Collectively Orchestrated Political Actions
Whether tracking Twitter trending topics can help identify moments of acute political tension in Brazil.
Whether tracking Twitter trending topics can help identify moments of acute political tension in Brazil.
This article sets out to understand the dynamics concerning political actions carried out through hashtags on Twitter. Its main objective is to answer whether tracking trending topics can help identify moments of acute political tension. Based on an analysis of ranking flows, the main hypothesis raised by this investigation is that, as trends of a connected public opinion, trends can operate as a thermometer of the climate of opinion on the networks. Furthermore, it is possible to note, with the use of hashtags as markers of support and opposition, the use of astroturfing tactics to achieve visibility and repercussion on social media. The study undertook a systematic collection of the main trends in Brazil between January and July 2019, in order to assess strategies related to the competitive capacity of these groups.
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CHAGAS, V. O que está acontecendo? O que os trending topics podem nos dizer a respeito de ações políticas coletivamente orquestradas. Opinião Pública, Campinas, v. 29, n. 3, p. 666-690, 2023.