Whenever a young person commits acts of violence, a review of their online history always reveals that they were radicalised online. In May 2022, an 18-year-old shooter opened fire on a predominantly Black neighbourhood in New York, killing 10 people. His internet history showed that he’d been viewing white supremacist content like the great replacement theory. Extremist groups like Boko Haram, ISIL, and Al Shabaab also use the internet to gain followers.
A study by the UNDP found that these terrorist organisations use social media for recruitment, spreading propaganda and securing funding. By using well-curated footage, these groups show the strength of their numbers and dress their manifesto in a way that resonates with young people who may feel disenfranchised in their lives. These groups use Twitter, and YouTube mostly. But since most of their content violates the terms of service of these large social media platforms, they switch to chatting apps like Telegram or WhatsApp. Teens are also exposed to radical content on platforms like Discord, Steam, TikTok and Twitch.
Children as young as 13 are inundated with content that turns them from delightful young people to those who would join a harmful cause. These campaigns mostly target young boys who are sucked in with manosphere how to be a man content. It starts out with basic dating or financial responsibility advice eventually evolving into complete radicalisation. The subtle propaganda is spread through memes, or watching a video game streamer use radical talking points. The for-you function on apps like YouTube and Instagram ensure you’re constantly exposed to videos you’ve gravitated towards. This means that if your child started watching pro-extremist content, they’d keep getting inundated with it.
How radicalisation works
Younger children are being called the iPad generation because of how much time they spend on screens. This was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic when most kids were relegated to online schooling. Playing outside, travelling, or making friends wasn’t an option. Children had to live their lives in their homes and behind the screen. This made it easier for them to get repeatedly exposed to harmful content.
Many harmful channels also found ways around platform restrictions by playing toxic audio over playful or instructional videos. When your teen has headphones on, with a recipe video showing, you wouldn’t be able to know they’re listening to a call to misogyny. How can you prevent it?
1. Watch what your kids are watching
Even if you want to give your kids their privacy, you still need to be aware of what they’re exposed to. Having a discussion every few days about what they’ve been consuming online can help you parse whether they’ve been exposed to misinformation and disinformation. You can also have settings on your home Wi-Fi to see their search history and know when to intervene. Look out for keywords that have extremist language. The younger your child is, the less they’re likely to understand nuance and may accidentally share a racist joke without awareness of the harm. Their peers may also encourage sharing such content. As a parent, you have to show them why such posts are wrong and the harm they lead to rather than just blocking them from it.
2. Monitor their language
A key way that extremists recruit young teens is by using edgy language. Self-proclaimed edge lords usually use racist, sexist, or otherwise bigoted language to crack “dark” jokes. Teens may struggle to differentiate between humour with a darker edge and the perpetuating of harmful tropes. Teens are radicalised this way because they think they’re being cool or unique. When your teen starts using language outside of their usual vocabulary that’s harmful, they could be mimicking an online recruiter.
Neo-nazi groomers have admitted to packing their messages inside existing cultural memes as a delivery method. Misogynists have also used self-help language to code in anti-woman’s rights agendas in their messaging. In a post about how to save money, recruiters will add how to “handle a woman”. This helps the message reach more people without being flagged and gives them plausible deniability.
Teach your teens to use empathy before reposting such content. Let them also come to you for clarification when they see “dark humour”. Allowing your child to be curious helps them learn better about what’s harmful. This way if one of their peers is spreading radicalisation messages, they can avoid it too.
3. Look out for personality changes
Radicalised teens will stop participating in activities that interest them. Teens who are being groomed to join a harmful cause will be trained to avoid their friends and let go of the daily activities that bring them joy. If they were expressive, they’d be told to withhold their opinions. Radicalised teens will be angrier, chronically online, hateful, and impatient with everyone.
4. Scapegoating
One way radicalised teens start their transition is when they start scapegoating arbitrary or imaginary problems on marginalised groups. For instance, if they’re engaging in white supremacist content, they’ll blame immigrants and people of colour for their problems. If they’re being exposed to sexist content, they’ll say hateful things against women. In April 2018, a Canadian man drove a van into pedestrians killing 10 and injuring 13 others. His web history revealed that he was a frequenter of the now-defunct subreddit, r/incel—a group of “involuntary celibates”, men who blame women for their sexlessness. Scapegoating is an alarming sign of radicalisation because it shows that recruitment is almost complete.
Sometimes they don’t speak out against groups of people who identify a certain way. It can be an authority figure in your teen’s life, especially the one who points out that their behaviour is unacceptable. This can be a teacher, counsellor, parent or sibling.
How to de-escalate a radicalised teen
When your teen is already down a radicalisation rabbit hole, reacting rashly or shaming them can make them shut down. They can also run away and fully join an extremist group that has a base of operations. When you confirm your teen has been radicalised, start by having honest and open conversations with your child.
When you see anything strange, approach your child with curiosity rather than condemnation. If they trust you enough to share what they’re listening to then they’ll trust you enough when you explain they’re wrong to continue participating. Shutting them down can make them lash out or drive them to hide their history even more.
As you discuss what your teen is consuming online, find out what made them start consuming such content. In some instances, it’s because of peer pressure. It can also be loneliness or misplaced heroism. With such cases, expose your teens to more wholesome content creators who provide better advice.
Foster critical thinking in your child. Media literacy will help them engage wisely with content. They can question what they’re being taught and look up factual information before accepting any information posted online to a trendy social media sound. Making them self-aware keeps them proactive when they come across provocative content.
When your child has gone too far, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. De-escalating when your child is fully groomed may need professional assistance. Mental health counsellors, therapists and psychiatrists have proven medical methods to help deprogram your teen. Many children get radicalised but they don’t all become violent. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help but don’t hesitate to do so either. Sometimes, it’s not just a phase.
Check out:
Grooming: What Parents And Guardians Should Know And What Should Be Done To Protect Children
18 Important Life Skills To Teach Your Teens To Help Them Become Self-Sufficient Adults
How To Protect Your Children From Traumatic News And Content
How To Tell If A Cult Is Recruiting You And How To Avoid It
Parenting: Important Money Conversations To Have With Teens As They Prepare For Adulthood
