Metabolic Shocks Across Scales: Linking Territorial Networks, Geopolitical Events, and Online Tie Dynamics

Kokurina frames states as territorial-metabolic networks—self-organizing systems that process resources and shocks. Nejjari et al. show significant structural similarity between cyber and geopolitical event networks (via QAP on GDELT). We propose assembling a novel dataset that links territorial flows (e.g., mobility from social network fusion data in urban settings), geopolitical events (GDELT), and platform interaction networks (topic-layered Twitter networks per Logan et al.). Using dynamic SBMs (Corneli) to segment regimes, we test whether exogenous “metabolic shocks” (e.g., sanctions, conflict escalations) predict bursts in online tie formation, shifts from homophily to heterophily in specific topics, and reconfiguration of broker positions. The model treats shocks as inputs that reweight attachment kernels temporarily (e.g., heightened betweenness-seeking post-shock as users seek brokers for information). The novelty is the integrated, cross-scale metabolism lens—reframing online network evolution as part of a larger resource-and-stress processing system. If successful, it would explain why certain geopolitical events spawn unexpected bridging communities or rapid echo chamber hardening, and it would enable early warning by detecting pre-shock “metabolic strain” signatures in mobility and online interaction layers.

References:

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