The attempted siege on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was no less than an act of domestic terrorism, but beneath the actions of these radicals lies a dangerous ideology that asks our nation, “What are we doing to drive these citizens to alt-right extremism?”
Social media platforms have developed rapidly in the past twenty years, taking turns in the online spotlight of what young people choose to spend their time using. These platforms vary from sites such as FaceBook to YouTube to Snapchat, all of which utilize an algorithm to prompt people to spend more time on their applications. Users on these apps will post content ranging from pictures and videos to memes and skits. Some of these memes or tweets will border on offensive, and videos and infographics can contain a plethora of false claims or stories, but regardless of how questionable some content may be it is out in the open for most anyone to see. What role might social media play in radicalizing individuals?
Watauga 9th grader Ellary Smith answers the question for us, claiming, “...social media has in many ways radically changed my views and knowledge. I have met people who introduce me to new ideas and movements and [have] seen things others share that make me evaluate my place in society.”
Political exposure in itself is not what is harmful, but rather the digestion of one-sided content with no moderation. Adolescent minds are developing, thus they get attached to concepts at a higher rate. Social media capitalizes on this to make money, but in doing so, they allow all types of users to imprint upon young viewers.
Naturally, any company’s goal is to amass a maximum profit, and for social media platforms this entails ensuring users spend as much time on their applications as possible. To better engage users, algorithms are utilized that present individuals with content similar to videos they have viewed or liked, though the details vary for each individual corporation.
This itself isn’t the problem, but more so that people will choose to watch a seemingly joking anti-feminist video and in doing so YouTube will recommend additional content with similar themes. Given time, this can promote radical or extreme viewpoints.
Another source, who chooses to remain anonymous, chimes in, “I definitely think that content on the internet has shaped my beliefs. The internet has the ability to raise so much awareness about so many issues. This is great when it is used to raise awareness for good causes, however it can also spread conspiracy theories, misinformation, or make smaller issues feel significantly bigger. Although my core beliefs and values stay the same, I sometimes find myself feeling hateful or refusing to understand those that I disagree with if I'm not careful about the content I consume. I think this is because on the internet it's a lot easier to make broad, declarative statements without much nuance, and sound very authoritative about it.”
To avoid this type of brainwashing, we as students should strive to find our own authoritative voice. We should make efforts to decide what on the internet we actually agree with, rather than what we've been pressured into believing.
It is in our best of interests as students and adolescents to acknowledge that social media companies will view us as users first and individuals second. Their goal is to increase their wealth, rather than to ensure that all of the content on their website is fact-checked and harmless. The internet has the potential to be extremely assisting in certain situations, but it is up to us to be wary and proceed with caution to prevent ourselves from becoming hateful, misinformed, and discriminative.
Written by: Sullivan McAualy
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