Abstract
It is now empirically clear that the structure of online discourse tends toward homophily; users strongly prefer to interact with content and other users that are similar to them. I review the evidence for the ubiquity of homophily in discourse and highlight some of its worst effects including narrowed information landscape for users and increased spread of misinformation. I then discuss the current state of moderation frameworks at large social media platforms and how they are ill-equipped to deal with structural trends in discourse such as homophily. Finally, I sketch a moderation framework based on a principal of “scaling expertise” that I believe can contend with the scale of online discourse while maintaining sensitivity to context and culture.
Recommended Citation
Weber, Dylan
(2024)
"Scaling Expertise: A Note on Homophily in Online Discourse and Content Moderation,"
New England Journal of Public Policy: Vol. 36:
Iss.
1, Article 13.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol36/iss1/13
Included in
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons, Social Media Commons