7 Confronting Digital Extremism

WEEK 7: CONFRONTING DIGITAL EXTREMISM

Overview:

As we’ve learned through our examination of conspiracy theories, conspiratorial thinking can have 2 contradictory effects – belonging in a group that believes in a conspiracy theory and isolation from those who don’t believe. We’ve also learned that these beliefs are often emotion and identity driven, which can make them harder to dislodge. It’s particularly dangerous when these beliefs drive people to extremism and violence. Think of the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 as an example. This week we’ll take a look at our susceptibilities to extremist rhetoric, and possibilities for addressing those vulnerabilities. There’s tons of research opportunities inherent in these ideas, so keep an eye out for intriguing notions on which to build your spring research.

This is key information in relation to the grant objectives so we’ll be taking a little more time with it. Plan to take up to 7 hours to complete all of the activities.

Objectives:

1. Connect conspiratorial thinking and radicalization.
2. Examine how disinformation is used to recruit members of extremist groups.
3. Explore our vulnerabilities to extremist rhetoric.
4. Consider how we might help our communities recognize and reject extremist rhetoric.

Activities:

Part 1 of 3, MECHANISMS FOR RADICALIZATION:

1. (30 minutes). Watch the video, The Boogaloo Ballad of Henry Graves, as an introduction to these ideas, then answer the following questions:

• • • How are the ideas in this video connected to ideas we’ve learned about in previous modules?
    • Does Henry Graves’ experience sound plausible? Why or why not?
    • The Boogaloo Boys are an actual extremist group. Do your own search to learn more about the group. Post a link to a resource you found (other than WIkipedia) and 3 key points you learned from the resource:

2. (60 minutes). We can see in the video we just watched how conspiratorial thinking and disinformation combine to lure people into extremist beliefs and sometimes violent action. Let’s take a look at some more conspiracies to get a stronger sense of these paths to radicalism. Go to  The Conspiracy Chart and choose 2 conspiracy theories from different sectors of the chart to click on and learn more. Briefly describe what conspiracy theories you chose and what you learned below:

3. (60 minutes).  These next 2 articles help us understand the complex background leading to radicalization. This first article is a relatively easy read which also introduces some potential solutions. Read the article, then respond to the questions below the citation.

Matthews, J. (12 Jan 2022). Radicalization pipelines: How targeted advertising on social media drives people to extremes. The Conversation.

• • • What does Matthews mean by “Breadcrumbs to the Extreme”?
    • How is this article connected to the video you just watched and ideas in previous modules?
    • What are the solutions Matthews proposes to avoid radicalization?
    • Brainstorm a couple of ideas of how we might use one (or more) of Matthews’ solutions to create programming for our own communities:

4. (60 minutes). This publication also focuses on social media as a main path to radicalization,  looking at its polarizing effects on our society, and offering some ideas for confronting radicalization. Read Chapter 5, Civil society: defending the global village: strategies against the cultural backlash on social media by Dr. Matthias Quent in the report Hate Speech and Radicalization Online, then respond to the prompts below:

• • • How would you describe the main points of this article to a friend? Include an explanation of key terms such as “cultural backlash”?
    • Would it be possible for us to employ the strategies outlined by Dr. Quent? Why/why not?

Part 2 of 3, CONFRONTING DIGITAL EXTREMISM:

1. (75 minutes) This article looks at solutions from a government policy and regulation perspective. Read the article, then respond to the questions below the citation

Kornbluh, K. (22 Feb 2022)  Disinformation, radicalization, and algorithmic amplification: What steps can Congress take?. Just Security.

• • • What ideas in this article are familiar to you from our previous reading?
    • How does this article connect disinformation and national security?
    • What are the steps Kornbluh recommends to stop “algorithmic radicalization”?
    • Why are First Amendment rights a concern in relation to Kornbluh’s solutions?

2.  (75  minutes).  This article, written by a university professor, offers practical advice for managing conversations about digital extremism in a college setting. Read the article, then respond to the questions below the citation.

Rea, S. C. (2022). Teaching and confronting digital extremism: contexts, challenges and opportunities. Information and Learning Sciences. Boise State Access

• • • How does Rea use the following terms to describe challenges of teaching about digital extremism?

Red pilling:

False equivalency:

Bothsidesism:

Prescriptive debates:

• • • Why does Rea say that digital extremism is not equally divided across the political spectrum?
    • What are the implications for us as influencers and educators in a deeply conservative state given that digital extremism is seen more frequently on the conservative end of the political spectrum?
    • What ideas can we use from this article  to respond to potential backlash to our work?

Part 3 of 3, CREATE A SOCIAL MEDIA POST:

(60 minutes) Choose one of the following:

• Create a short reel (60 seconds or less) for Instagram or Facebook related to what you’ve learned this week. Submit a link to the reel rather than the reel itself.
• OR write a brief blog post (1-2 paragraphs) to help your peers better understand the issues we learned about this week. Include an image to be used with the post.
• OR create a series of 3 posts with images and wording for Facebook or Instagram. Include the hashtag #DisinfoSquad in your creation.

PRO TIPS:
– Include captioning on reels that have no type.
– Link to one of the resources you’ve used in the course or on the Disinfo Debunking guide