# When or What? Understanding Consumer Engagement on Digital Platforms

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.10474 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.10474/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 9 of its 88 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 12 Oct 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 9 of 9)

- [The COVID-19 Social Media Infodemic](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2003.05004/) (2020)
- [Echo Chambers: Emotional Contagion and Group Polarization on Facebook](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1607.01032/) (2016)
- [Storywrangler: A massive exploratorium for sociolinguistic, cultural, socioeconomic, and political timelines using Twitter](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.12988/) (2020)
- [Examining the consumption of radical content on YouTube](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2011.12843/) (2020)
- [Predicting Successful Memes using Network and Community Structure](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1403.6199/) (2014)
- [Impact and dynamics of hate and counter speech online](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2009.08392/) (2020)
- [A Systematic Review of Echo Chamber Research: Comparative Analysis of Conceptualizations, Operationalizations, and Varying Outcomes](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.06631/) (2024)
- [Selective Exposure shapes the Facebook News Diet](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1903.00699/) (2019)
- [TikTok's recommendations skewed towards Republican content during the 2024 U.S. presidential race](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.17831/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Understanding what drives popularity is critical in today's digital service economy, where content creators compete for consumer attention. Prior studies have primarily emphasized the role of content features, yet creators often misjudge what audiences actually value. This study applies Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) modeling to a large corpus of TED Talks, treating the platform as a case of digital service provision in which creators (speakers) and consumers (audiences) interact. By comparing the thematic supply of creators with the demand expressed in audience engagement, we identify persistent mismatches between producer offerings and consumer preferences. Our longitudinal analysis further reveals that temporal dynamics exert a stronger influence on consumer engagement than thematic content, suggesting that when content is delivered may matter more than what is delivered. These findings challenge the dominant assumption that content features are the primary drivers of popularity and highlight the importance of timing and contextual factors in shaping consumer responses. The results provide new insights into consumer attention dynamics on digital platforms and carry practical implications for marketers, platform managers, and content creators seeking to optimize audience engagement strategies.