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Local interactions and the emergence of a Twitter small-world network

Ch�ng, Eugene

Local interactions and the emergence of a Twitter small-world network Thumbnail


Authors

Eugene Ch�ng



Abstract

The small-world phenomenon is found in many self-organising systems. Systems configured in small-world networks spread information more easily than in random or regular lattice-type networks. Whilst it is a known fact that small-world networks have short average path length and high clustering coefficient in self-organising systems, the ego centralities that maintain the cohesiveness of small-world network have not been formally defined. Here we show that instantaneous events such as the release of news items via Twitter, coupled with active community arguments related to the news item form a particular type of small-world network. Analysis of the centralities in the network reveals that community arguments maintain the small-world network whilst actively maintaining the cohesiveness and boundary of the group. The results demonstrate how an active Twitter community unconsciously forms a small-world network whilst interacting locally with a bordering community. Over time, such local interactions brought about the global emergence of the small-world network, connecting media channels with human activities. Understanding the small-world phenomenon in relation to online social or civic movement is important, as evident in the spate of online activists that tipped the power of governments for the better or worst in recent times. The support, or removal of high centrality nodes in such networks has important ramifications in the self-expression of society and civic discourses. The presentation in this article anticipates further exploration of man-made self-organising systems where a larger cluster of ad-hoc and active community maintains the overall cohesiveness of the network.

Citation

Ch’ng, E. (2015). Local interactions and the emergence of a Twitter small-world network. Social Networking, 4(2), https://doi.org/10.4236/sn.2015.42004

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Apr 13, 2015
Publication Date Apr 27, 2015
Deposit Date Jan 4, 2018
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Social Networking
Print ISSN 2169-3285
Electronic ISSN 2169-3323
Publisher Scientific Research Publishing
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 4
Issue 2
DOI https://doi.org/10.4236/sn.2015.42004
Keywords social network analysis, social movement, community, #freejahar, small-world networks
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/748999
Publisher URL http://file.scirp.org/Html/2-2680076_55990.htm
Additional Information Article ID:55990

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