An attempt to uncover the conflicts of a suburbanizing settlement with the help of social media

Abstract

Since the second half of the 2010s, a new phase of suburbanization has begun. Simultaneously, the rise of web 2.0 platforms and social media provides researchers with the
opportunity to investigate the social processes associated with suburbanization using
new methods. In this study, posts and comments on the social media platform of Ballószög, a town affected by suburbanization, were analyzed to uncover the conflicts induced
by the latest wave of suburbanization and their spatial distribution. The analysis reveals
that discussions about conflicts triggered by suburbanization are present on the town’s
community page („Everything about Ballószög” Facebook group). The main topics of
these discussions include noise, animal husbandry, the environment, and social deviance.
These conflicts are primarily characteristic of the areas in the town where long-term residents and newcomers live in close proximity to each other. The analysis of the comments
indicates that these conflicts stem from the differing rural discourses of various social
groups, which coexist simultaneously. Overall, my experience suggests that while social
media analysis has its advantages, it cannot replace empirical field research.