[Paper Review] Quote RTs on Twitter: Usage of the New Feature for Political Discourse

Kiran Garimella, Ingmar Weber+1 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Mar 25, 2016

Social Media and Politics18 references17 citations

TL;DR

This study investigates Twitter's quote retweet (quote RT) feature, a new interactional tool allowing users to share a tweet with a custom comment. Using content, network, and crowd-labeled data from the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the authors find that quote RTs increase political discourse diffusion, promote more civil and balanced exchange, and are used more like replies than traditional retweets, suggesting a positive shift toward constructive political discourse on the platform.

ABSTRACT

Social media platforms provide several social interactional features. Due to the large scale reach of social media, these interactional features help enable various types of political discourse. Constructive and diversified discourse is important for sustaining healthy communities and reducing the impact of echo chambers. In this paper, we empirically examine the role of a newly introduced Twitter feature, 'quote retweets' (or 'quote RTs') in political discourse, specifically whether it has led to improved, civil, and balanced exchange. Quote RTs allow users to quote the tweet they retweet, while adding a short comment. Our analysis using content, network and crowd labeled data indicates that the feature has increased political discourse and its diffusion, compared to existing features. We discuss the implications of our findings in understanding and reducing online polarization.

Motivation & Objective

• To understand how the new quote retweet (quote RT) feature on Twitter is used in political discourse.
• To assess whether quote RTs contribute to more civil, balanced, and constructive political discourse compared to standard retweets.
• To examine the role of quote RTs in reducing online polarization and echo chamber effects.
• To evaluate whether the feature enables broader diffusion of political content beyond tightly-knit user networks.

Proposed method

• Collected approximately 35,000 quote RTs from the Twitter streaming API over three days during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
• Analyzed content, network structures, and mutual following patterns to compare quote RTs with traditional retweets and replies.
• Conducted crowd labeling of quote RTs to assess civility, including identifying insults and constructive discourse.
• Generated word clouds from quote texts to qualitatively assess the range of political engagement (e.g., agreement, disagreement, discussion).
• Used statistical analysis to compare usage patterns, civility levels, and network diffusion between quote RTs and other interaction types.
• Controlled for temporal effects by acknowledging potential influence from external events and election cycle dynamics.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How is the quote retweet feature used in political discourse compared to standard retweets and replies?
• RQ2 Does the quote retweet feature lead to more civil and balanced political discourse, as measured by crowd-labeled content?
• RQ3 To what extent does quote retweet usage increase the diffusion of political content across social networks?
• RQ4 Are users who adopt quote retweets more socially active or experienced than average Twitter users?
• RQ5 Does the quote retweet feature reduce the impact of echo chambers and online polarization in political discourse?

Key findings

• Quote RTs are used more like replies than traditional retweets, as evidenced by similar mutual following patterns and content similarity to replies.
• Users who use quote RTs are more socially active and have been on Twitter longer than average users.
• Quote RTs significantly increase the diffusion of political content beyond the original user’s immediate network, promoting broader reach.
• Crowd-labeled analysis shows that quote RTs involve far fewer insults and more constructive dialogue, indicating a more civil form of political discourse.
• The feature enables diverse political engagement, including discussion, agreement (e.g., 'imwithher'), and disagreement (e.g., 'nevertrump'), suggesting a balanced exchange of views.
• Despite limitations related to timing and evolving usage, the overall pattern indicates a positive shift toward more civil and outwardly diffusing political discourse.