I Read It on Reddit: Exploring the Role of Online Communities in the 2016 US Elections News Cycle

BERTs of a feather: Studying inter- and intra-group communication via information theory and language models

When communicating, individuals alter their language to fulfill a myriad of social functions. In particular, linguistic convergence and divergence are fundamental in establishing and maintaining group identity. Quantitatively characterizing linguistic convergence is important when testing hypotheses surrounding language, including interpersonal and group communication. We provide a quantitative interpretation of linguistic convergence grounded in information theory. We then construct a computational model, built on top of a neural network model of language, that can be deployed to measure and test hypotheses about linguistic convergence in "big data." We demonstrate the utility of our convergence measurement in two case studies: (1) showing that our measurement is indeed sensitive to linguistic convergence across turns in dyadic conversation, and (2) showing that our convergence measurement is sensitive to social factors that mediate convergence in Internet-based communities (specifically, r/MensRights and r/MensLib). Our measurement also captures differences in which social factors influence web-based communities. We conclude by discussing methodological and theoretical implications of this semantic convergence analysis.

Genetic discrimination views in online discussion forums: Perspectives from Canadian forumites

Recent advancements in genetic technologies have made genetic information increasingly sought out in a wide range of non-therapeutic contexts, which has increased the risk that such information be used to discriminate against individuals. Frequently, it is genetic counselors who have to respond to questions about genetic discrimination (GD) from worried patients. Here, we examine the general Canadian public's knowledge, attitudes, and concerns about GD through a comprehensive analysis and categorization of posts from selected Canadian online discussion forums. Overall, we collected 1,638 posts, from which we coded 694 posts originating from newspaper comment sections and Reddit posts that were categorized to yield 6 main themes that consistently concerned Canadian users on the topics of GD: (a) discussions centered around how insurance business practices can be affected by genetic information; (b) issues in employment; (c) 'fear' of genetic testing and eugenics; (d) preventive approaches such as law and human rights instruments; (e) the predictive value and privacy that should be conferred to genetic information; and (f) other ethical issues. Overall, discussions addressed risk stratification models applied to genetic information and personal insurance underwriting. We find that many forum users (aka forumites) fear GD in insurance and employment, consider genetic information private, and strongly support different legal approaches to prevent GD. However, we find dissension among forumites that may represent different advocacy groups such as insurers and employers. From these important concerns and social conceptions, we discuss issues that should be taken into consideration for the development of future policies and information campaigns addressing GD in Canada and other countries.