Disinformation Dynamics Unveiling the Impact of Echo Chambers in Shaping Online Public Opinion

Abstract

The proliferation of misinformation and the emergence of echo chambers in the online environment pose significant challenges to modern democracies, directly impacting public opinion and social behaviors. This study focuses on the analysis of a Facebook group centered around a prominent Romanian political figure, boasting 93,800 members and averaging ten daily posts. Using advanced machine learning and AI-based hate speech detection, the study uncovers systematic echo chamber construction and the amplification of misinformation. The findings emphasize the influence of online echo chambers on public opinion and underscore the need to maintain information integrity in the media landscape and communication. This research has important implications for scholars, policymakers, and media practitioners, indicating the critical need to address the challenges posed by misinformation and echo chambers in the online environment.

Keywords

• disinformation
• echo chamber
• cognitive biases
• filter bubble
• polarizing
• fake-news manipulation