ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN PROLIFERATING EXTREMISM ONLINE

Abstract

Objectives: Social media has made it possible for individuals to communicate all around the world, but it has enabled extremist groups to seek and gain support, contact a wide audience, encourage action and use them to stir up violence. This paper will dig deeper into the investigation of social media platforms and their linkage in promoting extremism, along with exploration of use of social media by extremist groups. The study aims to analyze the process through which users of social media incite violence and the role of algorithms and platform policies in curbing or maximizing such content. The research paper builds on extensive review of relevant literature, and primary survey data, that included data from 100 individuals to examine online influence, algorithms and its impacts in real life. The study utilized a mixed-method approach, including an in-depth literature review, analysis of real-life case studies (such as TLP and the Christchurch shootings), and a survey regarding social media usage and extremist content. Data revealed that users face a lot of content that they think is inappropriate; algorithms, reels and other such content types affect real life; and online opinions which consumers see impact their offline opinions. The survey found that 67.4% of respondents encounter false content daily, and 84.8% have seen content promoting real-world violence. Social media platforms help extremist ideologies reach more people by giving them the space and liberty to create content that spreads quickly. To tackle this, both technical and social threats must be addressed, demonstrating the importance of technology companies, policymakers and others working together to respond.