Intertextuality without Clear Source in Population-Environment Debates within Digital Public Sphere in Social Medias

This presentation explores the phenomenon of intertextuality without clear source in public debates concerning population and environmental issues within digital public spheres in social medias. As digital platforms increasingly serve as venues for discourse on pressing global challenges, the role of intertextuality — the incorporation of elements from other texts within a new text — becomes pivotal. However, the prevalence of intertextuality without explicit attribution in these debates poses significant implications for the accuracy, credibility, and influence of online conversations.

Traditional intertextuality theory often emphasizes citation forms over sources, limiting its application in social science research. Yet, intertextuality is crucial in linguistic turns of micro-social studies, revealing deep social, cultural, and historical interconnections. Intertextuality with ambiguous sources poses risks to knowledge reproduction in electronic public spheres. Ambiguously citing views from one's own coalition leads to norm violations in knowledge production, while obscure references to opponents' arguments exacerbate polarization, intensifying conflicts and divisions. This study aims to bridge this gap.

Drawing on a comprehensive analysis of social media posts, online forums, and blog entries related to population growth and environmental sustainability, this study identifies instances where arguments, data, and narratives are reused, adapted, or referenced without clear indication of their original source. This pattern not only undermines the transparency and traceability of information but also fuels misinformation and polarization, particularly in complex and emotionally charged debates about population dynamics and their environmental impacts. By shedding light on this overlooked aspect of digital discourse, the study calls for heightened awareness and stricter norms around sourcing in electronic public spheres, ensuring that debates on population and the environment are grounded in accurate, verifiable, and attributed information.