Incentives of platform design: Contrasting the discourse dynamics of 4chan, Twitter and YouTube

This study examines the role of social media platforms in shaping discursive norms and user hierarchies across 4chan, Twitter/X and YouTube by asking two research questions: 1) How do conversations surrounding the same topic differ across social media platforms? and 2) What design choices prompt discussions to become specific to a platform? This study analyses discussions surrounding a single cultural product, the documentary The Game Changers, to gather a dataset from nine conversations on the three social media platforms. Findings reveal that, while antagonism is present across all platforms, its expression varies: 4chan’s anonymity fosters informal, subcultural hierarchies and debate-driven discourse, whereas Twitter and YouTube’s networking affordances promote more structured hierarchies and validation-based interactions. The study challenges technologically determinist views that attribute online hostility solely to anonymity, arguing instead that antagonism emerges from affordances that enable symbolic capital accumulation and distinction. Ultimately, the research highlights the need to understand antagonistic hegemonic struggles not only in fringe anonymous spaces but also within mainstream platforms where status affordances can legitimize harmful discourse.