Demystifying hashtag hijacking in the public opinion game: attention, narratives, and social bots

Hashtag hijacking has become a prevalent strategy of issue competition on social media. This study explores its attention dynamics, narrative strategies, and manipulation by social bots under the theoretical framework of game theory. The results reveal that hashtag hijacking does not strictly follow zero-sum logic, but instead exhibits either zero-sum or variable-sum dynamics in tweets, as well as mixed relationships (where competition and cooperation coexist) in interactions. The study uncovers three key narrative strategies:antagonism, association, and stigmatization, employed by both hijackers and supporters. Notably, social bots act as initiators in hijacked contexts, while playing a more responsive role in not-hijacked ones. By examining the strategic interactions among actors in modern information warfare, this study provides critical insights into public opinion manipulation.