Abstract
Increasingly, Instagram is discussed as a site for misinformation, inau-thentic activities, and polarization, particularly in recent studies aboutelections, the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines. In this study, we havefound a different platform. By looking at the content that receives themost interactions over two time periods (in 2020) related to three U.S.presidential candidates and the issues of COVID-19, healthcare, 5G andgun control, we characterize Instagram as a site of earnest (as opposedto ambivalent) political campaigning and moral support, with a rela-tive absence of polarizing content (particularly from influencers) andlittle to no misinformation and artificial amplification practices. Mostimportantly, while misinformation and polarization might be spreadingon the platform, they do not receive much user interaction.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The propagation of misinformation in social media |
| Subtitle of host publication | a cross-platform analysis |
| Editors | Richard Rogers |
| Place of Publication | Amsterdam |
| Publisher | Amsterdam University Press |
| Chapter | 7 |
| Pages | 139-163 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9789048554249 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9789463720762 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |