Examination of Polarization in Social Media in Aggressor-Oriented and Victim-Oriented Discourse Following Vigilantism

Abstract

In the year 2020, two real-world vigilantism incidents invited nationwide discourses on social media: the fatal shooting of two men by Kyle Rittenhouse (an aggressor) and the murder of Ahmaud Arbery (a victim). The public engaged vigorously in social media discussions of approval or disapproval of the aggressor or victim in such vigilantism incidents. While diversity of opinions is a healthy driver of advancement, extreme polarization can be a powerful barrier to achieving societal progress and human flourishing. In this paper, we first examine public opinion regarding these vigilantism incidents. We identify various issues expressed in social media conversations and find that compared to victim-oriented discourse, aggressor-oriented discourse on vigilantism displays more opinion polarization. The discourses show that aggressor-oriented vigilantism discussions largely support vigilantism, self-defense, and the right to bear arms. On the other hand, victim-oriented discourses largely disapprove of vigilantism incidents. We also find that positive emotions in discourses are more polarized compared to negative emotions. Our work has practical implications concerning polarization on social media after devastating events.