Analyzing user archetypes in Singapore's Telegram groups on COVID-19 and climate change

Social media platforms, particularly Telegram, play a pivotal role in shaping public perceptions and opinions on global and national issues. Unlike traditional news media, Telegram allows for the proliferation of user-generated content with minimal oversight, making it a significant venue for the spread of controversial and misinformative content. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Telegram's popularity surged in Singapore, a country with one of the highest rates of social media use globally. We leverage Singapore-based Telegram data to analyze information flows within groups focused on COVID-19 and climate change. Using k-means clustering, we identified distinct user archetypes, including Skeptic, Engaged Advocate, Observer, and Analyst, each contributing uniquely to the discourse. We developed a model to classify users into these clusters (Precision: Climate change: 0.99; COVID-19: 0.95). By identifying these user archetypes and examining their contributions to information dissemination, we sought to uncover patterns to inform effective strategies for combating misinformation and enhancing public discourse on pressing global issues.