SOCIAL MEDIA: THE AMPLIFIER OF RADICALISATION

Mickey Skidmore, AMHSW, ACSW, MACSW

With the next election day in the United States around a week away I felt the content of this editorial to be timely. Even if this is the political dumpster fire unfolding in the US, many of the same dynamics are increasingly prevalent in Australia.

It has been well documented and reported by multiple sources that during the Trump administration, the 45th President communicated more than 30,000 falsehoods. In other words, he lied to the American people (and the world) a lot (one might say continuously). Early in his administration, one of his sycophants, Kellyanne Conway introduced what would become perhaps the most powerful gaslighting tool to the public — now known as “alternative facts” (yet another euphemism for lying). Between his propensity for corruption and his strained relationship with the truth, he recognised that if he repeated the same lies again and again, he could successfully sow enough doubt and uncertainty and/or even persuade enough people to accept his lies at face value — despite reason, logic or even overwhelming evidence to the contrary. And anything counter to his views or statements would ultimately be dismissed as “fake news.”

Trump has essentially taken all the oxygen in the room for the past 5-6 years, demanding and insisting that the whole world revolve around him. How quickly we forgot the pre Trump era when scores of young men were being radicalised by the Taliban, Al Qaeda, ISIS, and other extremist groups. This type of influencing or brainwashing seemed immune from alternate perspectives. And time and again we were dismayed by their willingness to cavalierly die for a cause that seemed incomprehensible to numerous societies (which many characterised as terrorists). These young men seemed unable to recognise they were being manipulated by political extremists with their own agenda, hungry for power.

In the early days of Trump’s administration I marvelled at the ease by which he executed his manipulative methods to corrupt the executive branch; homeland security; the Department of Justice; and ultimately the majority of the GOP — at least to the point that the Republican party had become a cult. Trump had taken gaslighting and weaponising lies and disinformation to levels never seen before. And social media was the primary vehicle he used to amplify his alternate realty to what would ultimately reflect the same dynamic of political radicalisation. How else would you describe the 30% of the Trump base that can not be persuaded with logic, facts or evidence that has time and again debunked the mainstay of their conspiracy theories? They have been radicalised by Trump’s rhetoric … his talking points … his gaslighting … his disinformation … his lies.

We saw this played out in his botched response to COVID; which not only resulted in the undermining of CDC but also impacted the WHO and influenced the response of many countries around the world. This process of weaponising lies and disinformation has emboldened world wide vaccine naysayers and entitled skeptics to social distancing efforts, and in all likelihood only extended and further complicated the COVID issue rather than anything else. 

Such radicalisation and a daring willingness to ignore (or blatantly violate) well established norms, traditions, and protocols have led to the demise of previously accepted established “rule of law” thinking. It’s bad enough that Trump has pulverised so many presidential norms, but in his contempt and corruption of both norms and fundamental laws he has influenced, if not incited a growing number of those in his circle to thinking that they too are above the law. Have you noticed the growing number of Republican officials who publicly defy federal subpoenas? Of course an appropriate response is to attend, plead the fifth if they choose (which is everyone’s legal right); or assert an explanation of privilege etc. Increasingly however, these individual’s challenge the legality, or the assumptions around the request, or otherwise make a case that the law does not apply to them. And in some cases, when they do not wish to comply with subpoenas, they simply request for a Judge to dismiss the subpoena altogether. 

While Trump may be the master gaslighter of our time, we see China taking a page out of the same playbook in their efforts to establish their preferred narrative in laying claim to large swaths of the Pacific ocean. Never mind that the international courts and previously established legal thinking have not recognised China’s position and numerous other countries have made legal claims to numerous islands that have not definitively been adjudicated. China simply restates their position repeatedly — again and again (despite facts and evidence that disputes their claims) until these false claims (alternative facts) over time are accepted by some to be true. Relentless gaslighting and lies stated over and over until they wear down any and all alternate positions. They have stated their claims so much and so often that nothing short of a military conflict or war will alter such perspectives.

So how are people radicalised? Make no mistake about it. In my view, the destructive and reprehensible algorithms employed by social media create the amplification chamber of information bubbles that ultimately program, indoctrinate and brainwash people into ideologies and perspectives that are generally impenetrable by alternate views or critical thinking. 

The framework of these algorithms are employed beyond social media as well. Have you noticed a curious click on any internet site results in a plethora of unwanted email solicitations from either that company or something similar? Nearly every click confirms your IP internet address and sets into motion the unwanted solicitation machine of similar products, services or the like. And then later, they sell your contact details which then get included in other email lists for the scammers or those who have no reservations around their attempts to con or exploit you for their own greed. Such is the business model of social media.