Paper Type
ERF
Abstract
The proliferation of toxic information on social media remains a persistent challenge, yet extant research predominantly explains it through Western-centric lenses. This paper introduces Konkonsa, a culturally embedded gossip practice in Ghana, as an alternative driver of toxic information online. Drawing on affordance theory, we examine how visibility, associability, and persistence interact with Konkonsa orientation to shape information sharing behaviors in the Ghanaian context. Using a citizen science approach combining surveys with interviews and focus groups, this study traces how culturally grounded communication practices transform into toxic information through platform engagement. The findings will extend affordance literature by contextualizing it within non-Western cultural norms while offering policymakers and platform designers culturally nuanced understandings for mitigating online harm without suppressing the beneficial aspects of Konkonsa for social accountability.
Paper Number
1705
Recommended Citation
Adrah, Frederick, "Konkonsa as a driver of news: Tracing the antecedents of toxic information in a citizen science project" (2026). AMCIS 2026 Proceedings. 6.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2026/ccris/sig_ccris/6
Konkonsa as a driver of news: Tracing the antecedents of toxic information in a citizen science project
The proliferation of toxic information on social media remains a persistent challenge, yet extant research predominantly explains it through Western-centric lenses. This paper introduces Konkonsa, a culturally embedded gossip practice in Ghana, as an alternative driver of toxic information online. Drawing on affordance theory, we examine how visibility, associability, and persistence interact with Konkonsa orientation to shape information sharing behaviors in the Ghanaian context. Using a citizen science approach combining surveys with interviews and focus groups, this study traces how culturally grounded communication practices transform into toxic information through platform engagement. The findings will extend affordance literature by contextualizing it within non-Western cultural norms while offering policymakers and platform designers culturally nuanced understandings for mitigating online harm without suppressing the beneficial aspects of Konkonsa for social accountability.
Comments
SIG CCRIS