A new study has further exposed the effect of polarizing content on social media engagement. Researchers from the universities of Cambridge and New York found that tweets and Facebook posts about opposing political parties are far more likely to be shared than content containing emotional language. Up front: Social media platforms have long been accused of algorithmically promoting divisive content, because it’s more likely to go viral and thereby attract ad revenue. The researchers sought to quantify how dunking on one’s enemies can maximize this engagement. The team analyzed around 2.7 million posts from news media account and US congressional members.…
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