The few influencing the many: Digital asymmetry and political radicalisation

CIES-Iscte has just released a new open-access e-working paper by PhD student Flávia Rodrigues Tristão Camello, entitled “Poucos influenciam muitos: Assimetria digital e radicalização política” [The few influencing the many: Digital asymmetry and political radicalisation], which addresses the asymmetry of visibility on online platforms and political radicalisation.

The paper examines the rise of digital elites – a small group of highly central profiles with an exceptional capacity to spread content – and their impact on visibility and engagement dynamics on online platforms. The study focuses on Brazil, taking X (Twitter) as a case study between the 2022 elections and the events of 8 January 2023.

Using a mixed-methods approach that combines statistical indicators with a qualitative analysis of narratives, the paper identifies a sharp asymmetry of visibility: a very small number of profiles account for most interactions (32 profiles accounted for 80% of all retweets), reflecting a structural inequality typical of these networks and the role of algorithms in amplifying content.

By highlighting the relationship between visibility, emotion and the circulation of information, the paper contributes to understanding processes of political polarisation and radicalisation in digital environments. The work received the 2nd Prize (ex aequo) of the CIES e-Working Papers Awards 2025.

Read the full e-working paper here.

Originally published by CIES-Iscte.