How does Semiotics Influence Social Media Engagement in Information Campaigns?

Abstract

The rise of visually driven social media platforms like Instagram has transformed the way information and narratives are shared. This study explores the impact of social, cultural, and political (SCP) symbols in Instagram images on user engagement within Taiwan’s 2024 Election Anti-Disinformation Campaign. Specifically, it investigates the correlation between the presence of SCP symbols and user engagement, and further examines whether a higher semantic similarity between SCP symbols in user text and large language model (LLM) generated image descriptions (consistency) leads to increased likes. Additionally, the SEIZ epidemiological model is used to assess whether the presence of SCP symbols and consistency in messaging influence the spread of this content, measured by its infection rate. Our findings reveal that posts rich in SCP symbols and those with greater text-image alignment not only achieve higher engagement but also greater dissemination, as indicated by a faster infection rate. These results highlight the importance of multimodal analysis in understanding information campaigns. By integrating semiotics, LLMs, and epidemiological modeling, this study offers a robust framework for future research on social media information campaigns and provides valuable insights for strategic communication efforts aimed at countering disinformation.