Rethinking social media and extremism

Abstract

Terrorism has entered the mainstream of twenty-first century life, with seemingly random attacks in civilian spaces a tragic staple of the daily news flow. Even a global pandemic has not slowed the pace, with the United Nations (2021) warning that terrorists are exploiting our growing, COVID-driven dependence on cyberspace. The innovative use of digital technology for the purposes of terror was a central feature of the 2019 Christchurch massacre and the attack put a spotlight on the prominent role of social media in propagating violent extremism. Christchurch was noteworthy for many other reasons, not least that the neo-fascist affiliation of the gunman clashed with the dominant fear of Islamist terrorism. However, it was the central role of social media that stood out. Put starkly: Facebook livestreamed this massacre. While the terrorist was cast as a 'lone gunman', he was anything but alone. Through cyberspace, he had connected with a global network of neo-fascists dedicated to upholding white supremacy in the West. Social media was implicated in every aspect of the Christchurch terror attack-in its inspiration, planning, preparation, execution and ongoing mythic status. It is the relationship between social media and extremism that binds the multiple perspectives within this book together. 1 The book offers reflections from a range of 1 The chapters within this book were first workshopped at the symposium '