Communication in the Age of Twitter: The Nature of Online Deliberation

Abstract

In the past decade, Twitter has become the space where politicians, activists, and regular citizens voice their opinions, seek out like-minded others, and spar with political opponents. The sociocultural impact of hashtags such as #MeToo and #BlackLivesmatter have led many scholars to take an optimistic approach regarding the nature and quality of communication that takes place on Twitter. At the same time, there is ample research that provides reason for caution when it comes to the role of Twitter in contemporary democracy. This book should be seen as a part of that scholarship. This chapter provides an overview of the various, often contradictory positions regarding Twitter’s potential for political communication, highlighting what questions still need answered to understand whether Twitter functions as a public sphere.