Malevolent Creativity and Social Media: Creating Anti-immigration Communities on Twitter. Issue 1 (2nd January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: de Saint Laurent, Constance; Glaveanu, Vlad; Chaudet, Claude
• Is Part Of: Creativity research journal. Volume 32:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 66
• Page End: 80
• Publication Date: 2020-01-02
• Subjects: Creative ability -- Periodicals; 153.3505
• DOI: 10.1080/10400419.2020.1712164
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1040-0419

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper examines the role played by malevolent linguistic creativity in the generation and maintenance of anti-immigration communities on Twitter. In order to understand this phenomenon, we combined data science and qualitative techniques for the analysis of 112, 789 pro- and anti-immigration tweets with a focus on their hashtags. Our analysis pointed to the fact that anti-immigration users on this social media platform have a distinct behavior and employ a series of specific strategies in creating echo chambers online. One of these strategies has to do with the use of new words and slogan variations which have a clear identity function and serve the pragmatic purpose of building community. Some reflections on the relation between creativity and social media are offered at the end.