eExtremists

Along with all the great features of social media, there can also been quite a dark side. We are all currently aware of extremists groups, which more specifically are groups who have an extreme intolerance to certain people or groups. This intolerance is expressed quite violently and publically. For example white extremist groups which are driven by things like racial impurity, anti-Semitism and political hegemony. However these groups have moved and expanded online via social media platforms which are classified as eExtremists or online hate groups. As social media is great for uniting groups of people who share similar interests worldwide it acts as a powerful tool for these groups  to spread there attitudes and messages out, to educate and train others and to recruit new members. Currently in the United States there 1007 known hate groups operating, such as the neo-Nazis, Klansmen, racist skinheads and black separatists. Another example of an extremist using the internet and social networks is Norwegian Anders Behing Brievik who has been held responsible for terrorist attacks in Norway, killing many innocent people.

What is even more outraging is that even an registered political party can be considered an extremist group, such a the Australian First Party. Which has been described as a minor extreme right wing political party that is federally registered in Australia. The policies of the AFP has been said to be based around the old fashioned beliefs of the labour party, they can be described as nationalistic, anti-multicultural and economic protectionist.

 

Reingold's utopian view of 'virtual communities' seems to me as quite the opposite to what these hate groups are proposing they are hardly communities with high desirability and 'perfect qualities'. More precisely the promote and create discrimination and violence with our society. As we can see from the Brievik example these types of hate groups throughout the Internet can have quite severe and damaging effects. Honestly in this day and age how can this sort of violence and discrimination still be widely apparent, why aren't there laws being implemented to monitor and combat these groups?

Personally I believe that the future of these hate groups and the 'dark side of social media' will continue to prevail and grow with support unless higher intervention is becomes apparent. Individually we all need to learn to recognize when an extremist website is crossing the line of free speech to negatively targeting minority groups.