What the study found
The study found that most users on Telegram tend to align their toxic or antisocial expression with the local norms of the chats they join. It also found that users who participate more heavily in chats show a stronger tendency to conform to those surrounding social contexts.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that these findings deepen understanding of toxic online behavior. They also suggest that content moderation may need to be contextualized to account for local community norms.
What the researchers tested
The researchers analyzed six large-scale datasets of Telegram messages collected between 2015 and 2024, covering more than 500 million messages across multiple chats and languages. They introduced a conformity index to classify user behavior as conformist, anti-conformist, or independent.
What worked and what didn't
Across the datasets and languages, user toxicity was associated with the toxicity levels of the chats they participated in. The pattern was described as consistent, and higher participation was associated with stronger conformity. The abstract does not report any specific effects that did not appear.
What to keep in mind
The summary provided does not describe detailed limitations or caveats. The findings are based on Telegram messages and the specific datasets, time period, and languages included in the study.
Key points
- Most Telegram users tended to conform to the toxicity levels of their local chat environments.
- The study analyzed over 500 million messages from six large-scale datasets collected between 2015 and 2024.
- A conformity index was used to describe conformist, anti-conformist, and independent behavior.
- Higher user participation in chats was associated with stronger conformity to surrounding norms.
- The authors say the findings support contextualized approaches to content moderation.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Telegram users tend to match local chat toxicity norms
- Authors:
- Lorenzo Alvisi, Victor Popa, Guglielmo Cola, Serena Tardelli, Maurizio Tesconi
- Institutions:
- IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Institute of Informatics and Telematics, Institute of Informatics and Telematics, Institute of Informatics and Telematics, Institute of Informatics and Telematics, Institute of Informatics and Telematics, National Research Council, National Research Council, National Research Council, National Research Council, University of Pisa
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-24
- OpenAlex record:
- View
- Image credit:
- Diego Sanguinetti, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
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