Gas pricing sparks Twitter blame game; Paraqeet sorts it all out
As summer travel season swings into full gear, the roaring online commotion from irate consumers, elected officials and policymakers paints a picture of who Twitter users think is responsible for the ongoing gas-pricing crisis. Thanks to Paraqeet, the process of determining who has been deemed a culprit takes only a matter of minutes.
The Blame Game
Regardless of the specific topics of conversations taking place on Twitter, Paraqeet shows how the country’s polarization is magnified on social media. By searching “gas prices” within the United States, Paraqeet quickly sifts through all related conversations taking place in the country and finds users pointing the finger of blame at Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Joe Biden and Big Oil.
Suspect No. 1: Vladimir Putin
Paraqeet highlights the top trending conversations about the gas crisis, one of which was started by Biden and received 17,600 likes. In his post, Biden acknowledges the criticism he has received from Republicans in Congress but asserts that the consequence of increased costs for gasoline are preferable to having “Putin’s iron fist in Europe.”
Suspect No. 2: President Biden
Although many Twitter users responded in kind to Biden’s post, it also was met with criticism from Republican-affiliated users.
Former Georgia Republican congressman Doug Collins fueled this right-wing fire, tweeting that it would “be a great day for @JoeBiden to end his administration’s attack on the American Energy Sector.” The Republican National Committee, @GOP, emerged as the top influencer in the blame game:
Suspect No. 3: Big Oil
An opposing camp arises when searching “oil and gas companies prices,” with Aaron Black, a senior adviser to Nancy Pelosi, in the No.1 influencer position. Black flips the guilt back onto the Republican Party and tosses in the energy industry for good measure in this tweet:
U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Nevada Democrat, criticizes the oil companies outright and urges “hardworking Nevadans” to take action.
But the industry was already on that path. On June 1, for instance, Chevron tweeted that it was increasing production in the Permian Basin by over 15% to help offset rising energy demands and lower carbon emissions. However, the Twitterverse was hesitant to sing praises.
The Gas Crisis Abroad
Paraqeet also can examine the gas crisis on a global scale. Twitter user @LetTeddyWin posted in late June, highlighting the gas crisis in France.
France’s neighbor to the right is also burdened with the issue of expensive gasoline. Rapis Rapuli tweeted from Germany, “… gas is getting more and more expensive for us, apart from the war and the environment.”
Economist Steve Hanke, the No. 4 influencer under the Paraqeet search “oil and gas companies prices,” emphasized the gas crisis in Pakistan:
Although many in Pakistan are in agreement with Hanke, one Twitter user had a different theory. S A Afroz (@BJF_111), a journalist living in Kashmir, claims the gas crisis is part of a plan created by India and the Taliban to weaken the Pakistani army. The video on his tweet received 15,600 views.
In addition to the Pakistani accusations against India, a Paraqeet search highlights a tweet from NTV Breaking News, saying fuel companies in India have raised the price of gasoline from 800 rupees (Indian currency) per cylinder to 1,150 rupees per cylinder. Just as Biden receives a share of the blame for the gas crisis in the United States, the heat was targeted at Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi as well.
The Issue at Large
With any global crisis, be it escalating gas prices or the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be difficult to cut through the cacophony of voices. Paraqeet distills these opinions from policymakers and business owners to the average Twitter user into manageable segments, providing the tools to understand the conversations and try to develop responses and solutions in real time. The gas crisis serves as just one example of how Paraqeet illustrates that conversations on Twitter reflect our polarized society.