Abstract : There has been countless research on why well-integrated European youth become interested in radical Islam. This research will explore what radicalism and extremism mean within the context of far-right radicalisation. Extreme right figures and their ideologies have gained prominence in Western society. The journey towards upholding these ideologies isn't easy to document. We speak of a 'far-right pipeline'. An individual isn’t instantly converted but rather nudged into a direction until they freefall. These new populist movements are different from the traditional radical right: They like to provoke and their spread happens entirely online.
This research puts our current social media and political climate, and its effect on the young generation, in perspective. Foremost, the author will describe the new international far-right developments and their circulation through the online world. The far-right has become masters of promoting on the internet. Their promotional tactics will be studied. An important facet to this new populist right-wing ideology is that they are not a monolith. The ideology has a variety of branches and movements with dynamic goals, though they hold on to similar core ideas. Not all these groups can be defined as violent but the line between radicalism and extremism gets blurred. Radical discourse can become a feeding ground for extremist ideas. This research outlines the potential impact the new far-right visibility has on a young demographic: Generation Z, a generation living in a 24/7 online environment and constantly in touch with politicized content, in varying degrees. Even seemingly funny pictures can get a message across in a way a long-winded write This research aims to build an understanding of how teenagers can be exposed to thinly veiled online radicalisation. |
If you want to cite this thesis in your own thesis, paper, or report, use this format (APA):
Fernandez, T. (2021). Weaponized Social Media. How the Online Far-Right Reaches the Youth .
Unpublished thesis, Hogeschool PXL, PXL-Education.
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