Cross-pollination dynamics of web-based social media: An application of insectmediated pollen transfer

Raul Barreto and Angus Flavel ()
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Angus Flavel: Flavel REM Pty. Ltd

School of Economics and Public Policy Working Papers from University of Adelaide, School of Economics and Public Policy

Abstract: We propose a model of cross-pollination among online social media (OSM) websites, where the dynamics of user interactions mimic insect-mediated pollen transfer by pollinators (Di Pasquale and Jacobi, 1997). In our model, a pollinator acts as a vehicle enabling users to visit multiple social media sites—akin to visiting di􀆯erent plants in the same field—within a single browsing session. This approach frames geitonogamy and pollen export in self-incompatible plant species as analogous to the distribution of web tra􀆯ic across the social media landscape. We demonstrate that a theoretical pollinator allowing users to choose among social media sites multiple times per trip can drive an uneven increase in web tra􀆯ic across platforms, disproportionately benefiting the largest social networks while still providing tangible competitive advantages for smaller OSMs. This heterogeneous landscape fosters monopolistic competition among niche platforms, incentivizing even smaller sites to promote cross-pollination despite the larger relative gains to their bigger competitors. Our findings underscore the broader value of cross-platform user engagement, highlighting how cross-pollination dynamics can intensify network e􀆯ects and bolster the interconnected social media ecosystem. As cross pollination via new pass-through apps gain traction and web tra􀆯ic to social media platforms increases proportionately, the platforms will likely have no choice but to embrace the cross-pollination dynamics.

Date: 2025-03
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