Network Analysis of the Information Consumption-Production Dichotomy in Mastodon User Behaviors

Abstract

Decentralized Online Social Networks (DOSNs) are today an established alternative to the popular centralized counterparts. In this work, we push forward research on user behaviors in a decentralized context, by exploring the dichotomy between information consumption and production. Using the Mastodon user network as a proxy for the Fediverse landscape, we address two main research questions: Do the consumers, resp. producers, identified in one instance exhibit the same behavior consistently while interacting with other instances? and, Are there users who behave as consumers in one instance and simultaneously as producers in other instances, or vice versa? In this respect, our results reveal interesting traits of Mastodon users, yet unveil the emergence for further studies that can embrace other services in the Fediverse.