Twitter and Encountering Diversity: The Moderating Role of Network Diversity and Age in the Relationship Between Twitter Use and Crosscutting Exposure

Abstract

This article investigates whether Twitter use motivations relate to exposure to discordant information. To this end, this research conducted an online survey of 1,350 adults of South Korea. The results reveal that using Twitter for information-seeking, public-expression, and leisure-seeking purposes helps users to encounter crosscutting exposure, while the use of Twitter for private expression does not. Offline network diversity has a significant association with crosscutting exposure, and it moderates the relationship between Twitter use for public expression or leisure seeking and crosscutting exposure. The positive association between Twitter use for leisure seeking and crosscutting exposure is stronger among younger people than among older people.