Humor during a political conflict: Hostility and polarization on X
Abstract
This study analyzes humor as a tool for confrontation in digital political debate. A total of two hundred twenty-six posts published on X between November 3 and 15, 2023, during a period of political unrest related to the upcoming investiture of President Pedro Sánchez, were examined using a mixed methodology based on Grounded Theory and Critical Discourse Analysis. The results show that humor reinforces group identities, contributes to affective polarization, and is predominantly used to attack political opponents. Hostile messages often rely on audiovisual formats and are associated with multiple contributors and masculinized language. The study concludes that political humor on social media strengthens group cohesion through the symbolic exclusion of the other, weakening democratic debate.
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- Grupo de Investigación Cultura Digital y Movimientos Sociales. Cibersomosaguas
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