Connective Effervescence and Streaming Chat During Political Debates

Recent advancements in online streaming technologies have re-centered the audience as an important part of live broadcasts, including political events. In fall 2020, each U.S. presidential and vice debates were streamed on a number platforms that provided integrated chat where public could comment real-time alongside debate video. Viewers simultaneously tune into what candidates saying see sample their peers thought about candidates. This study examines large samples comments made social feeds during livestreamed ABC News, NBC Fox News Facebook pages to quantify key features associated with quality discussion these platforms. The results reveal consistent quasi-anonymous, constrained nature dynamic chat, are generally short, include substantial degree toxicity insults, differ significantly content across These findings underscore importance further new source potential influence attitudes behavior.