| Best Demo Award - Bridging Divides TMU Spring Retreat Toronto Metropolitan University | Award | 2026-03-26 | Gruzd, A., Yu, R., Mai, P. |
| TRSM Research Ambassador Award - Information Technology Management Toronto Metropolitan University | Award | 2025-05-29 | Gruzd, A. |
| Ukrainians in Toronto Online CommunityIn March 2026, we submitted a grant application to the Shevchenko Foundation to develop and deploy a three-year educational campaign designed to “inoculate” Canada’s population against Russian disinformation operations and celebrate Ukrainian Canadian history and culture. Recognizing that engaging with Ukrainian Canadian organizations and community groups would be essential to developing and disseminating educational materials that are politically relevant, culturally responsive, and attuned to evolving community concerns, we engaged the Ukrainians in Toronto Online Community group to confirm their interest in participating and identify concrete opportunities for collaboration. Toronto Metropolitan University | Partnership | 2026-03-27 | Gruzd, A. |
| Bridging Divides Annual Retreat Toronto Metropolitan University | Conference | 2026-03-16 | Gruzd, A., Mai, P., Yu, R. |
| Bridging Divides Annual Spring Retreat (2025) Toronto Metropolitan University | Conference | 2025-06-11 | Gruzd, A., Clements Haines, A., Mai, P. |
| Bridging Divides TMU Spring Retreat (2026) Toronto Metropolitan University | Conference | 2026-03-26 | Gruzd, A., Yu, R., Mai, P. |
| Bridging Divides TMU Spring Retreat (2026) Toronto Metropolitan University | Conference | 2026-03-26 | Gruzd, A. |
| Migra Media Acts International Conference Toronto Metropolitan University | Conference | 2025-04-29 | Lin, J., Gruzd, A. |
| Migration and Societal Change Conference Toronto Metropolitan University | Conference | 2025-06-19 | William Hollingshead, Gruzd, A., Mai, P. |
| Pathways to Prosperity 2025 National ConferenceFor a copy of the "Fractured Facts: How Generative AI Fuels Anti-Immigrant Misinformation" presentation, check out the Social Media Lab's blog post at the link below.
https://socialmedialab.ca/2025/11/25/fractured-facts-how-generative-ai-fuels-anti-immigrant-misinformation-2/ Toronto Metropolitan University | Conference | 2025-11-25 | Mai, P., Gruzd, A. |
| Shaping the Narratives of the Russia-Ukraine War for Western Audiences: An Exploration of English-language Telegram Channels Toronto Metropolitan University | Conference | 2024-09-02 | Gruzd, A., Li, Y., Mai, P. |
| The International Conference on Social Media & Society (#SMSociety) Toronto Metropolitan University | Conference | 2024-07-16 | Esteban Morales, Jaigris Hodson, Gruzd, A., Mai, P. |
| I 👍 your Hate: Emojis as Infrastructural Platform Violence on Telegram Toronto Metropolitan University | Publication | 2025-01-01 | Esteban Morales, Jaigris Hodson, Gruzd, A., Mai, P. |
| Media Construction of Immigrant CrisisThis panel is focused on topics related to media-constructed immigrant crisis and racism. By framing immigration as a threat on topics of border crossings, housing shortages, or crime, media narratives created fear, particularly affecting racialized immigrant communities. Such narratives on both mass media and social media not only distort reality but also deepen systemic racism, creating barriers to inclusion and equitable treatment for newcomers in Canada. This session will include works on critical race theory, and empirical studies using various methods, such as discourse analysis and social network analysis. Toronto Metropolitan University | Conference | 2025-03-13 | Gruzd, A., Cukier, W. |
| Migration Ad ObservatoryBeta Version: The Migration Ad Observatory is a research and transparency platform that collects, categorizes, and analyzes migration-related advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, making it easier to see how online ads shape conversations about immigrants and immigration. Toronto Metropolitan University | Research Output | 2026-03-16 | Gruzd, A., Mai, P., Yu, R. |
| A Stable Diffusion? - Analyzing the Impacts of Generative AI on the Production and Consumption of Visual Content on Social Media Toronto Metropolitan University | Grant | 2025-04-01 | Gruzd, A. |
| Assessing the Fragility of Social Media Toronto Metropolitan University | Grant | 2025-01-01 | Gruzd, A. |
| Moderating the Machine: The Role of Soft Moderation in AI-Generated Content on Social Media Toronto Metropolitan University | Grant | 2025-11-20 | Gruzd, A. |
| Bridging Divides TMU Spring RetreatA one-day, biannual meeting for Bridging Divides researchers, affiliated researchers, and HQPs at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), aimed at fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and methodological innovation. The retreat features project showcases from the Social Media Lab, presentations from colleagues at various project stages, interactive Q&A sessions, and networking opportunities to encourage methodological refinement and interdisciplinary exchange.
Toronto Metropolitan University | Activity | 2024-04-24 | Gruzd, A., Mai, P. |
| 2025 Social Media Lab – Computational Social Science Summer School – OnlineThe 2025 Computational Social Science Summer School, hosted by the Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University, is a free online training series taking place from July 14–16, 2025. Designed for researchers, students, and analysts, the sessions introduce participants to text and network analysis using Communalytic, a no-code platform. Topics include multilingual topic modeling, civility and toxicity analysis, and social network mapping, with no programming experience required. Toronto Metropolitan University | Activity | 2025-07-14 | Gruzd, A., Mai, P. |
| Digital battleground: An examination of anti-refugee discourse on Twitter against Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s invasion of UkraineRussia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has triggered Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II. In this case study, we investigate the prevalence and types of anti-refugee discourse about Ukrainian refugees on Twitter. Previous studies primarily focused on public discourse and attitudes toward racialized refugees and immigrants; the Ukrainian refugee crisis is unique in that it is one of the few instances of a recent refugee crisis involving people who do not come from mostly racialized communities. Using Communalytic, a computational social science tool for studying public discourse on social media, we automatically collected and identified toxic posts mentioning Ukrainian refugees during the first year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We focused on posts containing toxic language, as this is where we are most likely to find examples of anti-refugee sentiments. Based on a manual analysis of 2,045 toxic posts referencing Ukrainian refugees, the most prevalent ones were politically motivated and included partisan content (33 percent), followed by posts containing expressions countering anti-refugee narratives (20 percent). These findings highlight the escalating politicization and polarization of discussions about Ukrainian refugees both online and offline. Furthermore, 53 percent of the sample aligned with pro-Kremlin narratives against Ukraine. By exploiting anti-refugee sentiments and leveraging existing political and cultural fault lines in the West, pro-Kremlin messages on Twitter contribute to diminishing support for Ukrainian refugees, minimizing the severity of the war, and undermining international support for Ukraine. Toronto Metropolitan University | Publication | 2024-08-12 | Gruzd, A., Mai, P., Omar Taleb |
| Online toxic speech as positioning acts: Hate as discursive mechanisms for othering and belongingWhile digital platforms foster a sense of community and identity, they also facilitate harmful exclusionary practices. In this context, toxic and hateful speech are key mechanisms not only for harming others but also marking processes of othering and belonging. In this article, we examine the role of hateful and toxic speech in structuring processes of in- and out-group formation and maintenance by focusing on a public Colombian Telegram group. More specifically, we examine how members use toxic speech to position themselves and others in relation to narratives emerging from the group by analyzing 3221 posts with high levels of toxicity. Our analysis yields insights into the complex and paradoxical uses of antisocial behavior on social media platforms. Overall, the findings of this study deepen our understanding of the social gratifications that underlie how hate and toxic speech are used to disenfranchise individuals. Toronto Metropolitan University | Publication | 2025-05-27 | Esteban Morales, Jaigris Hodson, Victoria O’Meara, Gruzd, A., Mai, P. |
| Same Platform, Different Stories: TikTok and the Battle Over Immigration Narratives Toronto Metropolitan University | Publication | 2026-01-28 | Gruzd, A., William Hollingshead, Mai, P. |
| Shaping Western Perceptions: The Role of English-language Verified Telegram Channels in Framing the Narratives Around the Russia-Ukraine War Toronto Metropolitan University | Publication | 2025-10-01 | Gruzd, A., Li, Y., Mai, P. |
| Ucrainica Research InstituteIn March 2026, we submitted a grant application to the Shevchenko Foundation to develop and deploy a three-year educational campaign designed to “inoculate” Canada’s population against Russian disinformation operations and celebrate Ukrainian Canadian history and culture. Recognizing that engaging with Ukrainian Canadian organizations and community groups would be essential to developing and disseminating educational materials that are politically relevant, culturally responsive, and attuned to evolving community concerns, we engaged the Ucrainica Research Institute to confirm their interest in participating and identify concrete opportunities for collaboration. Toronto Metropolitan University | Partnership | 2026-03-27 | Gruzd, A. |
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