Great Divisions: The Evolution of Polarization During the Man-made Emergency of January 6, 2021

Polarization, which refers to the formation of opposing groups based on peoples' beliefs and opinions, is a phenomenon that has existed for eons. However, in the recent past, social media has caused a quantum change in the dynamics of polarization since beliefs may change almost instantaneously on social media because of unfolding events. We investigate social media communication that has resulted in polarized opinions among individuals prior to, during, and after a crisis event; the January 6th US Capitol riots. Analyses of the dominant narratives on Twitter surrounding the incident reveal a high level of polarization throughout the unfolding of the event, with increased polarization possibly attributable to the onset of the crisis. We also observe the evolution of the phenomenon: as the event unfolds, polarization changes. We suggest that understanding the evolution of polarization is important for timely crisis resolution by crisis managers. We utilize three measures, spread, distinctness and regionalization, to examine polarization during a crisis. Based on these measures our findings indicate that social media discussions exhibit an increase in the negative sentiment during the crisis as compared to pre-crisis, but there is a rebound in terms of positive sentiments emerging in the post crisis period. Also, the results signal reduced diversity in discussion topics during the crisis as compared to pre and post-crisis.