The internet makes it too easy to ‘fall down a rabbit hole of hate’. So, what works to curb online extremism?
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A suite of recent troubling events have once again shone a spotlight on extremist violence, especially the kind involving online radicalisation of young people.
Austrian authorities recently cancelled three Taylor Swift Eras tour concerts after learning of a 19-year-old’s suspected plot to attack attendees at a Vienna stadium.
ASIO Chief Mike Burgess has warned more young people are radicalising online and that we are seeing an acceleration of internet-fuelled violent extremism. “The internet can grab people quickly and hurt young brains which are not fully formed,” he said. “You can fall down a rabbit hole of hate quickly.”
So, why is this happening and what can we do to curb it?
Contemporary online environments enable extremism. Big tech digital platforms are designed for profit, rather than democracy. Engagement creates revenue and extreme content tends to increase engagement.
The speed with which we can generate and share disinformation makes it harder than ever to distinguish fact from fiction.
This means extremist recruiters have never been more empowered in their ability to quickly target vulnerable individuals.
But exposure to extreme content does not guarantee radicalisation. Extremist messaging is most effective when it taps into real and perceived grievances young people may be experiencing.
Potentially violent online radicalisation is most likely to happen when young people’s needs are unmet.
This can occur when a person is “red-pilled” through encountering far-right messaging. Or, they may be “black-pilled” while dwelling in an incel forum. Incel stands for “involuntary celibate” and represents a culture of men who, by being unsuccessful so far in attracting a woman, have grown hostile toward women as a whole.
Content retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/the-internet-makes-it-too-easy-to-fall-down-a-rabbit-hole-of-hate-so-what-works-to-curb-online-extremism-236503.
