Online murmurations highlights the relationship and behavior of online communities as a result of its network structure. This draws parallels to murmurations exhibited by flocking birds.
Contrasting traditional murmurations in nature, modern online murmurations are defined by an almost âartificial superstructureâ of curative algorithms. Signals are passed from screen to screen, and the behaviors exhibited by individuals draw similarities to other connected individuals.
However, one of the major factors influencing this structure is the incentive models behind behavior trends, primarily financially. Social platforms are incentivized to maximize user screen time for multiple purposes, not excluding ad placement and selling user data. This leads to trends such as the concept of closing of triangles, describing the societal digital trend where two people with a mutual friend should therefore be connected. Furthermore, the creation of digital communities such as those like Facebook groups brings together users based on similar interests or demographics.