Q8: Sentiment Trend
Tracking Sentiment Trends in Media-Driven (r/News) vs. Public-Driven (r/Technology) Tech Discussions
In this section, we will explore the differences in sentiment trends between the media-influenced r/News subreddit and the user-generated r/Technology subreddit. We calculate the average daily sentiment score for each subreddit within chosen technology categories, aiming to track changes in public and media attitudes toward these subjects over time. We believe this method will offer a comparative view of how narratives about technology in both public and media spheres have developed and interacted over various periods.
SENTIMENT SCORE OF TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS IN MEDIA-DRIVEN(r/News) TECH DISCUSSION
In the previous section, we plotted the number of submissions and comments for the chosen technical products under the r/Technology subreddit. Similarly, we first show the number of submissions and comments about different technical products under the r/New subreddit here.
From the first plot, we can see that Drones dominate in submissions, suggesting they are a hot topic for posts, while the Metaverse follows but with less than half the number of drone submissions. Regarding comments, drones are also the subject of the most discussion by a substantial margin, indicating not only do they spark interest in posts but also in the community engagement they receive.
Other technical products like Bard, Copilot, and Oculus show some presence for both submissions and comments, although significantly lower than drones. Interestingly, products like ChatGPT, Roomba, Waymo, and DeepMind, which might be expected to generate considerable discussion due to their innovative nature, are in the middle or at the lower end in both charts. This could imply that while they are recognized technologies, they may not provoke as much immediate conversation or be as novel in the data’s timeframe. These charts provide a snapshot of the technical topics currently capturing attention and generating discussion in this particular Media-Driven Reddit community.
Then, let’s use another two bar charts to show the average sentiment scores of these technical products. The first chart shows that Mobileye leads with the highest average sentiment score, indicating generally positive discussions surrounding this product. It is followed by Roomba and Metaverse, which also enjoy relatively high sentiment scores in submissions under the r/News subreddit. Notably, towards the lower end of the plot, we have products like Copilot, Drones, and Aurora, showing negative average sentiment scores, suggesting that submissions around them may contain critiques or negative perceptions.
In the second chart, Mobileye again tops the list, maintaining the highest average sentiment score in comments, reaffirming the positive reception in the first chart. Similarly, Metaverse, Waymo, and DeepMind follow with positive sentiment scores. ChatGPT and Oculus see a decrease in sentiment scores but remain positive. Moreover, the sentiment scores for Aurora and Drones are still noticeably negative. However, the average sentiment score of Copilot in the comments is positive, while the average sentiment score of Copilot in the submissions is negative.
The almost parallel between the two charts suggests a consistent trend in how these products are perceived in this timeframe. Mobileye is consistently viewed positively, while Aurora struggles with a negative perception. The rest of the products fall in between, with their sentiment scores indicating varying degrees of positivity. This could reflect users’ experiences, the impact of news or product releases, or broader media opinion trends within the tech community.
SENTIMENT OVER TIME FOR KEY TECHNICAL PRODUCTS IN MEDIA-DRIVEN(r/News) and PUBLIC-DRIVEN (r/Technology) TECH DISCUSSION
Next, we examine how the sentiment scores of three technical products(Chatgpt, Bard, Copilot) which have been most discussed, changed over time. This time, we consider both r/Technology and r/News subreddits, allowing us to examine both media-driven and public-driven Tech discussions.
These two charts show how ChatGPT’s sentiment scores change across different types of Subreddit. On the news-related Subreddit (media-driven discussions), sentiment fluctuates more widely, showing more extreme volatility. In contrast, the technology-related Subreddit (public-driven discussion), although it also has mood swings, has relatively more minor swings and does not have as extreme mood swings as the news Subreddit. This situation reflects the influence of news coverage, which tends to spread information quickly and thus elicit strong public reactions. In contrast, the discussion may be more in-depth and rational in the circle of tech enthusiasts, leading to less dramatic mood swings. In addition, we can see that at certain critical moments, such as the release of a new version of ChatGPT, sentiment fluctuations increase in both Subreddits, but the fluctuations are more pronounced in the news Subreddit. This suggests that media coverage played a role in amplifying reactions when these events occurred.
For Google Bard, the technology subreddit shows sentiment fluctuations, but the range is narrower and less extreme than the sentiment observed in the news subreddit. The news subreddit’s sentiment displays much more pronounced volatility, with sharp peaks and troughs indicating a highly reactive sentiment likely influenced by news cycles and public announcements. Significant events like “ChatGPT Introduction” and “Google Bard Introduction” coincide with noticeable sentiment shifts. The sentiment shows significant drops and rises around these events, particularly in the news subreddit. While also affected by these events, the technology subreddit’s sentiment suggests a more tempered and analytical community response. Over time, both subreddits show increased sentiment volatility leading up to and after the introduction of Google Bard. However, the extremity of reactions is much more significant in the news subreddit. This could imply that the news subreddit, driven by headlines and news reports, has a more immediate and emotional response to developments concerning Google Bard. In contrast, the technology subreddit’s responses might be cushioned by technical understanding and in-depth discussion.
Now, let’s examine the sentiment score trends for Copilot within news and technology subreddits over time. The technology subreddit demonstrates a stable, positive sentiment initially, with minimal fluctuations. This could reflect the community’s consistent interest or positive attitude towards Copilot. In contrast, the sentiment in the news subreddit experiences far greater volatility, showing drastic swings from positive to negative. The sharp spikes and drops in sentiment score indicate a reactive nature to news events, which tends to be more polarizing. Similar to Chatgpt and Google Bard, marked events such as “Copilot Release” and subsequent developments lead to noticeable shifts in sentiment. Interestingly, after “Copilot for Individula Developers”, the sentiment in the technology subreddit becomes more volatile, similar to the pattern observed in the news subreddit, albeit less extreme. This suggests that as Copilot became more widely available, the discussions among the tech community became more polarized, possibly due to a wider range of user experiences and opinions.
Lastly, we use a multi-bar chart to display the average sentiment scores for various technical products as derived from different sources over time, categorized as news_comments, news_submissions, tech_submissions, and tech_comments. Across most products, a mix of sentiment varies by source, suggesting that different communities and platforms react distinctively to each product. For instance, Mobileye and Metaverse generally maintain positive sentiment across all sources. DeepMind shows less variation in sentiment across submissions and comments than others, indicating consistent perceptions. Notably, Roomba, Copilot, and Oculus exhibit a wide range of sentiment scores, which may reflect diverse opinions or experiences with these technical products. Moreover, Copilot, Drones, and Aurora all have negative sentiment scores, especially in news-oriented sources, possibly indicating criticism or skepticism of the news.
From this section, we can conclude that the sentiment towards technical products is multifaceted and differs substantially between news and technology-oriented subreddits. Technology subreddits tend to show less extreme sentiment, whereas news sources exhibit more pronounced positive and negative opinions.