Emotions as Elements of Manipulative Messaging in Online Anti-Migrant Networks: Evidence from Telegram

Abstract

This study explores how negative emotions are deliberately triggered and employed as instruments of manipulation within online anti-migrant discourse. Based on the analysis of 3,194,663 Telegram messages collected from multiple countries, it examines which emotional manipulation emerges in the discursive and structural patterns. Combining manual annotation for maliciousness, emotional manipulation, and vulnerability with a multi-label transformer-based emotion classification, the research identifies how particular emotional configurations are mobilized. Rather than measuring the social impact of these messages or the intentions of their authors, the study focuses on uncovering the presence, structure, and possible functions of these emotional strategies. By situating these findings within Telegram’s affordances-low moderation, anonymity, and ideological insulation-it reveals how the platform nurtures emotionally polarized echo chambers. The study thus offers a conceptual foundation for future research seeking to connect emotional mechanisms with broader social and political effects.