Reflection 4: Deplorable—Combatting White Suprememcy on Social Media

Post-911, our country's national security apparatus has focused almost exclusively on foreign-based terror threats. However, in 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it had been "galvanized ... to expand its counterterrorism mission focus beyond terrorists operating aboard." The domestic threat most concerning to DHS is white supremacy—the belief that Caucasians are racially superior and, therefore, should dominate society. Buoyed by a perceived ally in the White House, a loose configuration of, often violent, groups (including Neo-Nazis, white nationalists, incels, the KKK, MGTOWs, and others) have coalesced under the umbrella of the Alt-Right. Recently, these groups have also aggressively expanded via social media, which they have utilized to recruit mostly young, white males. In fact, Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Discord, and other platforms have all struggled to contain racist, homophobic, and misogynistic content. Meanwhile, other sites, like 8chan and Gab, have openly embraced the Alt-Right’s racist ideology. Like Jihadists before them, today's white supremacists understand the power of these platforms to lure unsuspecting and vulnerable users to their cause. But what can be done? Is it possible to close social media as an avenue for hateful ideology? And how should children, particularly boys, be protected?

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "How Gab Became a Haven for the Alt-Right" (Rolling Stone)
• "The Problem Isn't 8chan. It's Americans." (Buzzfeed)
• "White Supremacists are Trying to Recruit American Teens Through Video Games" (Vox)
• "How One Mom Talks to Her Sons About Hate on the Internet" (NPR)
• "To Protect and Slur" (Reveal News)

Required:

• MLA Style
• Approximately 500 words
• Works cited page

Due: Thu 10.24