Alberto Acerbi
@acerbialberto.com
I am an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Research at the University of Trento (Italy): cognitive anthropology / cultural evolution / digital media / cultural analytics
More info in the pinned post.
More info in the pinned post.
As I am working on this alone, I need you to cheer me up!
November 15, 2025 at 10:01 AM
As I am working on this alone, I need you to cheer me up!
Advertisement from Facebook. A special gift for your anthropologist friend.
November 15, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Advertisement from Facebook. A special gift for your anthropologist friend.
In a - very interesting - documentary about the founding and early years of the Faculty of Sociology in Trento, Renato Curcio (who would later go on to found the Brigate Rosse), then a student, recounts how one of the first student occupations was...
October 24, 2025 at 2:35 PM
In a - very interesting - documentary about the founding and early years of the Faculty of Sociology in Trento, Renato Curcio (who would later go on to found the Brigate Rosse), then a student, recounts how one of the first student occupations was...
I am completely impartial, for a treatment of Dunbar's number and social media you should read the first chapter of "Cultural Evolution in the Digital Age".
October 14, 2025 at 6:51 PM
I am completely impartial, for a treatment of Dunbar's number and social media you should read the first chapter of "Cultural Evolution in the Digital Age".
Tomorrow I will be in Padova for "Methods and Misconceptions: Refining Methods and Narratives in the Behavioral Sciences" together with Marco Del Giudice.
October 14, 2025 at 5:45 AM
Tomorrow I will be in Padova for "Methods and Misconceptions: Refining Methods and Narratives in the Behavioral Sciences" together with Marco Del Giudice.
October 3, 2025 at 8:22 AM
New preprint!
You may have seen Netflix’s Adolescence. It quickly became their most-watched mini-series ever, even prompting roundtable discussions between writers & the Prime Minister.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
You may have seen Netflix’s Adolescence. It quickly became their most-watched mini-series ever, even prompting roundtable discussions between writers & the Prime Minister.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
October 3, 2025 at 6:23 AM
New preprint!
You may have seen Netflix’s Adolescence. It quickly became their most-watched mini-series ever, even prompting roundtable discussions between writers & the Prime Minister.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
You may have seen Netflix’s Adolescence. It quickly became their most-watched mini-series ever, even prompting roundtable discussions between writers & the Prime Minister.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Interesting that only a bit more than 10 years ago the idea that internet would *not* have saved the world was controversial enough for a book-length treatment. (Cover of Italian translation of “The net delusion”).
September 8, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Interesting that only a bit more than 10 years ago the idea that internet would *not* have saved the world was controversial enough for a book-length treatment. (Cover of Italian translation of “The net delusion”).
May be a nice little project for cultural analytics students sabrinas.space
August 23, 2025 at 7:21 AM
May be a nice little project for cultural analytics students sabrinas.space
Good video panel at MUSE Trento: evolution is complicated! www.muse.it
August 7, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Good video panel at MUSE Trento: evolution is complicated! www.muse.it
Rabat is a beautiful, safe, and cosmopolitan city. Excellent choice for the next @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social and HBES conferences!
July 11, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Rabat is a beautiful, safe, and cosmopolitan city. Excellent choice for the next @culturalevolsoc.bsky.social and HBES conferences!
Inizio il mini-tour toscano :)
Domani 3 luglio ore 11 - IMT Lucca
Dopodomani 4 luglio ore 18 - Details Lab Pisa
Domani 3 luglio ore 11 - IMT Lucca
Dopodomani 4 luglio ore 18 - Details Lab Pisa
July 2, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Inizio il mini-tour toscano :)
Domani 3 luglio ore 11 - IMT Lucca
Dopodomani 4 luglio ore 18 - Details Lab Pisa
Domani 3 luglio ore 11 - IMT Lucca
Dopodomani 4 luglio ore 18 - Details Lab Pisa
We didn’t stop there.
We also analysed ~700k replies & quotes.
What do audiences "say back" to the news?
We also analysed ~700k replies & quotes.
What do audiences "say back" to the news?
June 27, 2025 at 3:13 PM
We didn’t stop there.
We also analysed ~700k replies & quotes.
What do audiences "say back" to the news?
We also analysed ~700k replies & quotes.
What do audiences "say back" to the news?
The top predictors of engagement with factual news were:
Negative sentiment
Group-oriented content (e.g., us vs them)
Dominance-oriented language
In short: the same content that makes (some) misinformation popular.
Negative sentiment
Group-oriented content (e.g., us vs them)
Dominance-oriented language
In short: the same content that makes (some) misinformation popular.
June 27, 2025 at 3:13 PM
The top predictors of engagement with factual news were:
Negative sentiment
Group-oriented content (e.g., us vs them)
Dominance-oriented language
In short: the same content that makes (some) misinformation popular.
Negative sentiment
Group-oriented content (e.g., us vs them)
Dominance-oriented language
In short: the same content that makes (some) misinformation popular.
We looked at 250k+ tweets from 140 outlets like Reuters, BBC, Al Jazeera, NYT, etc. We measured engagement (likes, RTs, quotes, replies) and what content predicted it.
June 27, 2025 at 3:13 PM
We looked at 250k+ tweets from 140 outlets like Reuters, BBC, Al Jazeera, NYT, etc. We measured engagement (likes, RTs, quotes, replies) and what content predicted it.
Tecnopanico a "Il cantiere delle idee" www.rai.it/dl/RaiTV/pro...
June 26, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Tecnopanico a "Il cantiere delle idee" www.rai.it/dl/RaiTV/pro...
Amiche a amici di Pisa, settimana prossima (venerdì ore 18) presenterò Tecnopanico al Details Lab
June 25, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Amiche a amici di Pisa, settimana prossima (venerdì ore 18) presenterò Tecnopanico al Details Lab
Guys stop looking at my slides. I know it is hard.
May 23, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Guys stop looking at my slides. I know it is hard.
German language pop songs become more negative from the 60s
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
May 22, 2025 at 5:47 AM
German language pop songs become more negative from the 60s
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
The rise (and fall?) of misinformation research.
May 21, 2025 at 7:41 AM
The rise (and fall?) of misinformation research.
Heritage-based hostility on social media with @chiara-bonacchi.bsky.social in my cultural analytics course.
May 12, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Heritage-based hostility on social media with @chiara-bonacchi.bsky.social in my cultural analytics course.
Amiche e amici di Roma, questo venerdì sarò alla libreria Tomo a presentare Tecnopanico!
May 5, 2025 at 6:22 AM
Amiche e amici di Roma, questo venerdì sarò alla libreria Tomo a presentare Tecnopanico!
Social media are bad for you, but not for me...
See all report: www.pewresearch.org/internet/202...
See all report: www.pewresearch.org/internet/202...
May 4, 2025 at 7:03 AM
Social media are bad for you, but not for me...
See all report: www.pewresearch.org/internet/202...
See all report: www.pewresearch.org/internet/202...
Not only hard work when academic guests are visiting in Trento :)
May 2, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Not only hard work when academic guests are visiting in Trento :)
Domenica prossima a San Bonifacio (VR)
May 2, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Domenica prossima a San Bonifacio (VR)