From Feedback to Inertia: Participation Dynamics in Conspiratorial Online Spaces

Online conspiracy theory communities raise persistent concerns for digital governance, yet the behavioral dynamics that sustain participation in these spaces remain poorly understood. Using longitudinal data from a minimally moderated social platform, we analyze how social feedback, routine behavior, and ideological context shape user engagement over time. We find that repeated participation reduces sensitivity to positive and negative feedback, weakening the link between social reinforcement and continued activity. Content characteristics influence engagement unevenly, and while habitual posting is generally associated with disengagement, ideological alignment moderates this effect in conspiracy-focused communities. Together, these findings highlight how routine participation and community context can stabilize engagement even when social rewards are volatile, offering a general framework for understanding the persistence of fringe online communities.