Emotions in the Discourse of Online Leisure Communities: Self-Identification and Discussion Topics in Changing Social Circumstances

The paper examines the influence of external events on the discourse of online leisure communities and the emotional experiences of their participants. To achieve this goal, methods of thematic, quantitative and sentimental analysis of messages are used. The study is based on an extensive empirical base, including 632,894 user comments left from 2017 to 2024, and 8,578 records with account data. The work uses methods of thematic modeling and sentiment analysis to determine the impact of external events on the emotional component of discourse. The relevance of the study is due to the growing popularity of video games among Russians, which is confirmed by public opinion polls and statistical reports. Video games are becoming an increasingly common way of spending free time, and the average time spent playing games is five hours a week. The example of the dramatic rise in popularity of the game "Plague Inc." during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates how external social circumstances can influence interest in certain types of digital entertainment. Given the significant influence of social, economic and cultural factors on the discourse and perception of gaming products, the study is relevant for understanding the dynamics of online communities and their emotional background. The study reveals changes in the declared emotions of community members and the topics of their discussions in response to events in the outside world, which contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationship between social circumstances, self-identification and emotional reactions in the online environment. The conducted research confirms the significant influence of external social circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and ITS, on the emotional tone and topic of discourse in online leisure communities. It was found that these events enhance the negative sentiment among the participants and influence the topic of discussions, directing it to topical issues and news not directly related to the entertainment industry. In addition, it turned out that the gender and age of the participants did not affect their emotional reactions, despite the predominance of the male audience. These findings enrich the understanding of the dynamics of online communities and indicate the need for further research in the field of management and influence on the emotional discourse of real events.