https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/16/us/capitol-riots-extremism-threat-soh/index.html
On January 6, Trump supporters attacked the United States Capitol building in hopes of disrupting the certification of President Elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. This attack led to the death of one policeman and 4 others, as well as raised concerns over the security of the Nation’s capital. With the upcoming inauguration on Wednesday, barricades are being put up and armed forces are being brought in to prevent potential violence or insurrection. Much online chatter has shown signs of boycotts or protest, both in Washington D.C. and at each Capitol building in every state.
But experts claim that the attacks on January 6th bring up a bigger issue than potential attacks in the coming days. They fear that it was just the start of a long term growth of violence and extremism. They claim the spread of these messages and hate is largely due to the algorithms on social media, which bring people with similar ideas together based on cues in their words. Though reinforcements can protect the capital on Wednesday, when forces pack up and leave, the growing threat of violence will remain, and the sense of security will be lost. As social sites help spread messages, there will be more support of extremist ideas.
I believe the attack of the Capitol building opened our eyes to many issues that may pose a threat in the future. It’s obvious that social media has great ability to spread messages and gather like people together. The amount of people at the Capitol building on January 6th attempting to disrupt a democratic process shows just that. The ease at which they vandalized and broke into a federal building with threats and violence also raises issues of security and the power to which a cause has. I think this oncoming growth of ideas will happen. Misinformation spreads because people only see one side of things and don’t think of it any other way. These extremists will grow angrier and become more ardent with their cause, attempting to bring in more supporters and spread these extreme ideas and violence. The Capitol attack was just the beginning, and as time goes on, with a new president, changes to policy will be made. There will be strong opposition and conflict from many groups and the divide will widen, posing big threats for the future.
What do you believe should be done about the spread of extreme and potentially dangerous messages on social media and the web?
After the events at the Capitol building on January 6th, how do you feel about security and the future of our nation and the different groups within it?
Do you believe the extreme ideas and their supporters will grow?
While I think that social media sites should ban accounts that spread misinformation and incite violence, that's obviously easier said than done. And sure, after the events at the Capitol building on the 6th, many social media platforms have banned Trump, which seems like a good sign, but it seems to be too little too late, as the right wing radical ideas have already spread too far. So even when companies like Twitter block QAnon accounts (according to APNews, Twitter blocked over 70,000 of them after the 6th), they realistically cannot catch all of them, and misinformation will continue to spread. And even though popular right-wing user apps like Gab and Parler have been taken off the app store, the reality of the issue is that there is just too much social media to stop the spread of information at this point, despite anyone's best efforts of censorship. So I'm unsure of how exactly to stop the spread of misinformation, but I think that this new administration is a good start, because we'll have a leader in office who listens to science and logic, and doesn't encourage violence. But of course, the whole idea of extremist followers is that they don't necessarily listen to rationale, so I do worry that the extremist ideas will continue to grow as you said, as the divide widens. Although unlikely in my eyes, I hope that as Biden's time in office grows, some extremists will begin to lessen their following of Trump, as he hopefully falls farther out of the picture of US history.
ReplyDeleteI also hope that Biden's time in office can has some effect on extremist supporters and somewhat change their views to be based on science, logic, and reason. WE can always dream, but like you said this isn't too likely. Those who have spread extremism and violence aren't going to change their ideas and beliefs just because Trump has left office. If anything, they will be more ardent in their beliefs and develop even more extreme ideals against the democratic party. Even if social media cites try to censor and block these people, you are right, and they can't all be stopped. The web and social media are just too huge and people will still find a way to get their ideas out, bringing along more supporters.
DeleteI also believe that social media is a large contributor to extremism. Social media allows fringe groups like QAnon and their conspiracies to spread rapidly online. This then allows the ideas to become more mainstream and legitimized by politicians. January 6th to me indicates the harmful consequences of legitimizing such ideas. The internet allows people to live in entirely different realities or echo chambers. It is inherently difficult to change someone's mind once they have invested themselves in an idea. Confirmation bias causes people to interpret new information in a way to reaffirm previous perceptions. When people refuse to believe the media or decry it as "fake news" it is difficult persuade them otherwise. Social media seems to reward extreme ideas, and until that stops, it will be difficult to reduce the spread of extremism.
ReplyDeleteThere is really no way to stop social media's reign on digital communications. There are sites which can dodge the radar and areas where people with like minds can communicate. Stopping the spread on social media is not as easy as banning a few words or a few sites of radical organizations. With that being said, it is better to educate the public and stop the spread that is flowing in rather than at the source. Let's face it, these people won't stop, that is what extremism is. But before they can convince others, we can educate others about making the right choices and not simply following. I'm extremely confident in the security of our nation. America has shown time and time again that it will do what is necessary to protect the people. Yes, armed forces may scare the people about security but it is meant to scare other groups that think raiding the capitol is a good idea. This will turn out alright, we as citizens will be protected; democracy will be protected.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely agree with your point on educating the public and trying to teach people to use morality and reason in their decisions rather than following popular ideas within their groups. But it is still hard to educate because social media is still aiding the spread of extreme beliefs or violence that would affect one's opinions, usually in a wrong way. I really liked your point on the ability of the US to prevail and protect the people in hard times. Though the events on January 6th proved a threat to our democracy, we have seen that it stills stands, as a new president has been certified and inaugurated.
DeleteAs others have mentioned, I believe that it’s crucial for social media platforms to regulate the types of messages that are put onto social media and the web before the damage has been done. Once a social media platform flags a message that has gained a certain number of views, it can only slow the spread of misinformation but not stop it entirely. While I do think messages should be regulated, I’m curious as to the extent that platforms are going to enforce it. To answer question 3, I think that with appropriate measures, those extreme ideas and their supporters will not grow. Regulating messages and flagging misinformation would help the situation, but I definitely don’t think it’s enough. The main reason why people are willing to believe this misinformation is due to political tension and how American leaders are treating this issue. The frustration with the pandemic, the political turmoil, and social alienation that’s a result of COVID is causing people to join these extremists - the misinformation is just a basic reason. If we fail to resolve the tension between the republicans and the democrats, continue ignoring people’s needs, and more I don’t think the extremist groups are going to stop growing. However, this level of understanding isn’t going to be achieved soon because of media portrayals and the violence that errupted. Had the campaign had been done peacefully, maybe people (both civilians and leaders) would be more understanding.
ReplyDeleteI think that social media certainly plays a huge role in how politically divided we are as a country. Hopefully social media companies will implement and develop algorithms that will give the consumer a more well-rounded version of politics and not just one-sided. With technology, in this day and age, it is very easy to spread misinformation and very biased news. The main problem that I see with politics in social media is that as a consumer, you are only fed politics that are tailored to you and your beliefs. The issue with that is that many believe that their opinion may be the only opinion and others with differing viewpoints simply don't exist or are viewed negatively. My hope for the future is that people are more educated with a full version of politics so they can form an opinion after given both sides.
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