• Research by Petter Törnberg of the University of Amsterdam shows that negative phenomena on social media, such as echo chambers and attention inequality, are structurally embedded in the very architecture of platforms.
  • Using AI simulations, it was found that echo chambers emerge naturally even without algorithmic filter bubbles, simply due to the way users interact.
  • If just 10% of users in a community share your views, you become more tolerant of diverse opinions, stabilizing the dynamics and preventing polarization.
  • Analysis of the actual subreddit r/MensRights confirmed that users whose posts linguistically diverge too far from the community’s center are more likely to leave, making the community more extreme.
  • Data from US national surveys show declining activity on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter/X, while Reddit and TikTok are growing.
  • Twitter/X experienced a massive 72 percentage point shift to the right in engagement, while on Facebook the most extreme voices dominate.
  • Törnberg believes TikTok represents a transition from text-based social media to fully algorithmic video platforms.

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