Social Media Network Structure: Framework, Motif and Optimization: Based on the Analysis of Social media Accounts during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

All kinds of social media accounts in China have formed a network with multiple subjects, large scale, complex structure, and diverse functions, becoming the main supplier of information for society. What are its core nodes and main communication channels, and how can overall communication efficiency be improved? These questions guide the analysis of China’s current social media communication. Using the highly recognizable information of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study tracks and analyzes communication effects and paths, and examines structural characteristics from the perspective of complexity theory. The findings show that in China’s complex social media network, traditional mainstream media and accounts hosted by party and government organizations are the most important communication nodes, whose linkage provides a framework function. During the static management of Xi’an and Shanghai, the communication structure exhibited three-point and four-point models, centered on local and central mainstream media accounts. Therefore, this study proposes improving the efficiency and quality of communication by optimizing the network structure, repositioning the roles of mainstream media and government accounts, and adjusting their responsibilities and powers, so as to enhance the network’s functions in information dissemination, public opinion guidance, social mobilization, and information purification.