Model of talkers and listeners in social networks.

Abstract

Social media networks reveal highly asymmetric communication patterns, where a minority of individuals dominate speech while the majority primarily listen. Yet, the mechanisms governing the emergence and stability of such roles remain poorly understood. Here, we introduce a minimal agent-based model in which disparities in expression and attention give rise to emergent social structure. Persistent self-referential speech generates local dominance and hierarchical organization, whereas listener attention and memory sustain overall network cohesion. The model uncovers a feedback loop linking speaking activity, attention allocation, and memory, which sets the balance between social integration and fragmentation. Our results predict that greater listening propensity, social openness, and memory capacity promote cohesion and mitigate fragmentation, while excessive hub dominance can be curtailed by ensuring that all individuals engage in at least a minimal fraction of listening.