Twitter Makes Me Feel...?! Does Twitter Contribute to a Sense of Community?

• In Event: Building Community: Innovations in Social Media, Networks, and Technology

Abstract

Scholars have become increasingly interested in the relationship between sense of community (SoC) and social capital. Furthermore, studies seem to suggest that the two concepts appear to be building blocks. In order to contribute to this discussion, and to add an educational science perspective, the current paper investigated whether a SoC can be traced in an online community. More specifically, we contrasted two Twitter discussions among teachers and educational professionals in the US, namely: i) on a district level, and ii) on a national level. Using sentiment analysis and opinion mining, we discovered that Twitter seems to be a place of support, connection, and content—all elements of a SoC and contributing to social capital formation.

Authors

• Martin Rehm, University of Regensburg

• Alan J. Daly, University of California - San Diego

• Peter Bjorklund, University of California - San Diego