Semantic Analysis of Energy-Related Conversations in Social Media: A Twitter Case Study∗ Martha G. Russell1, 2, June Flora1, Markus Strohmaier3,JanP¨oschko3, Rafael Perez4,andNeilRubens4 ABSTRACT vast quantities of user-generated content about energy and This paper describes the initial phase of a study of ecolinguistic- sustainability in order to better understand contextual issues based social media analytics aimed at understanding the that define issue publics and frame positions. Preliminary frequency, semantics, context and potential persuasive in- results from this exploratory study confirm the feasibility fluence of social media conversations about energy issues, of using Twitter streams to detect awareness, describe atti- metaphors, frames and behaviors. Our broad research ques- tudes and infer influence about communication campaigns tion asked, “How does the online conversation about en- intended to persuade changes in energy behavior. ergy efficiency behavior change overtime?” We operational- ized conversations to be overtime mentions of ecolinguistic General Terms terms in Twitter. We conducted a preliminary analysis of energy behavior, semantic analysis, Twitter, data mining, the messages, users and content hashtags in tweets over 4 user generated content, network analysis, sustainability, en- months. Illustrative results demonstrate new tools for data ergy efficiency, persuasion, social media, ecolinguistic terms, acquisition, curation and analysis. They demonstrate an tweetonomy, time series initial concept proof of the tweetonomy construct and pro- vide preliminary network analysis of energy terms in twitter 1. INTRODUCTION streams. Results indicate opportunities for using time series This paper describes a large scale social media data collec- analysis to understand the rhythm of the social conversation tion and research program focused on energy efficiency and to provide insights about when people are reachable for per- climate change. The ultimate goal of this two year program suasive communications . They indicate opportunities for of work is to refine an energy and climate change taxon- text analysis on Twitter content to understand how to im- omy of terms; develop analytics that are robust in the face prove relevance of energy efficiency communications. They of an extensive data-base; conduct iterative tests of sim- demonstrate user-friendly tools to visualize the semantics of ple and complex analyses (frequency of mentions overtime; connections to societal events, social networks and building, ∗This research was funded in part by the Department of Energy (DOE), through an ARPA-e research cooperative and maintenance of online energy related issue communi- agreement to Stanford University, Byron Reeves principal ties). The final goal of the program is to make the analytic investigator, focused on human behavior change via feed- tools and data base available to energy-related scholars as back from an array of energy monitoring sensors (both well as others for the advancement of a social movement of high and low resolution sensors) on online coverage of environmental sustainability. targeted behavioral descriptions, technologies, and polices. Supported in part by Special Coordination Funds for People influence others and are, in turn, influenced with Promoting Science and Technology, the Japan Ministry respect to the actions, brands, products and issues they love of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and hate. This influence promotes awareness, motivates trial (MEXT), Knowledge Systems (Okamoto) Laboratory, the behaviors, reinforces purchase decisions, and sustains prod- Austrian FWF research grant P20269, and the Know- uct or action loyalty. Large scale social movements such Center Graz. as energy efficiency and sustainability require an initial ar- 1 Stanford University ticulate community with a shared belief in order to create 2 Media X virality. Word of mouth, online or in person, is essential 3 Graz University of Technology, Austria to break down barriers, to spread ideas and actions, and 4 University of Electro-Communications, Japan to develop innovations. In fact, the ripple effect of word of mouth is estimated to have three times the reach and im- pact of traditional advertising (Hogan, Lemon, Libai, 2004). Diffusion of information underpins the success of campaigns to persuade change in behavioral actions and adoption of a Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for sustainable lifestyle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are The term social media describes the online tools and plat- not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies forms that people use to share opinions, insights, experi- bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy otherwise, to ences, and perspectives with each other. Social media can republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. take many different forms, including text, images, audio, and Copyright 20XX ACM X-XXXXX-XX-X/XX/XX ...$10.00. video. Understanding conversations in online social media has the potential of providing program planners and commu- Twitter like other social media has been assumed to start nication campaign mangers unique insights into individuals’ with teens and move to other audiences. But Twitter has thoughts and verbal productions about energy efficiency and taken a different turn: climate change. With the increasing adoption of social me- “Another reason that teenagers do not use Twitter may be dia (73% of teens and 72% of young adults - Pew, 2010), that their lives tend to revolve around their friends. Though new opportunities are available for studying the role of on- Twitter’s founders originally conceived of the site as a way line conversation in persuasion. to stay in touch with acquaintances, it turns out that it is In 140 characters or less, the concerns, interests and pub- better for broadcasting ideas or questions and answers to lic narratives about energy efficiency and climate change are the outside world or for marketing a product. It is also easily identified. Twitter conversations also reflect the social useful for marketing the person doing the tweeting, a need aspects of information diffusion through conventions such few teenagers are attuned to.” Claire Can Miller, New York as retweets and other conversational responses, through the Times, Aug 2009. membership and social distance of these conversations, and Content analyses and user interviews reveal that Twitter in overtime changes in frequency and form of the networks. is not focused on personal social issues but has a stronger With Twitter, a particularly popular type of social media emphasis on ideas. Recent data from Pew’s ongoing media that has proven relevant in a number of societal challenges tracking studies (Pew 2010) reinforces that Twitter users and conversations recently (such as the 2010/2011 revolu- are are demographically diverse. Of the 72% of adult online tions in the middle east), the social response to societal or media users, 8% are twitter users. More specifically: national events, as well as to media coverage of these events, Young adults – Internet users ages 18-29 are signifi- and persuasive communication campaigns can be observed. • Twitter is both a medium and the message (Savage, 2011). cantly more likely to use Twitter than older adults. This paper outlines the broad aims of an ongoing research Also, these voting age adults can significantly influ- program to track and analyze social media conversations ence community and societal policy as well as opinion of over one hundred terms related to energy efficiency and regarding climate change. climate change for insights about consumer attitudes and African-Americans and Latinos – Minority Internet users behavior. It describes in detail the first assessment of the • project, in which we have begun with an exploratory analy- are more than twice as likely to use Twitter as are sis to investigate the extent to which Twitter conversations caucasian Internet users. The unique broad reach into about energy consumption can be tracked and analyzed us- this diverse audience allows the rapid diffusion of edu- ing a social media analysis framework for studying energy cational and vocational opportunities thought to bring consumption descriptors, concerns, actions, and sources of about economic recovery in the U.S. information. Preliminary results from this initial phase of Urbanites – Urban residents are roughly twice as likely research confirmed the existence of energy-related conver- • sations on Twitter, and the usefulness of Twitter streams to use Twitter as rural dwellers. to assess awareness of communication campaigns, brands, Further, Twitter users are nearly equally divided between products and policies related to creating communities of those who check the site on a daily basis (or multiple times awareness, interest, and action regarding energy behavior. per day) and those who check the site infrequently or never. We examined the periodicity, content and context of the Just over one-third of Twitter users (36%) check for mate- this conversation. rial posted by others on a daily basis or multiple times per This arena of scholarship is essentially interdisciplinary. day—this is roughly comparable to users’ engagement fre- Our research team leverages expertise from multiple fields of quency. Two in five (41%) say they check the site