In this episode, Jethro and Frederick discuss the history of radicalization, challenges, and give advice for what parents can do to help their children.
Brief History
- 1978 Invention of Bulletin Boards
- 1979 Neo*Nazi Bulletin Board Set Up in West Virginia; attracted kids from area
- Quickly followed by numerous others
- In the mid*1990s, with the development and growth of the Web, these BBSs moved onto the Internet
- Every online resource, from niche forums to wildly popular platforms like Facebook and YouTube, are used to spread hate speech and groom children
- The problem intensified with the creation of social media in the late 2000s and early 2010s, along with growing child access to mobile devices
- The combination of pandemic and lockdown is intensifying the problem
Some of the radicalizing groups that use technology to target kids
- Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists
- ISIS
- QAnon
Social / Tech Problems
- The cost of distributing speech is virtually “free”. some important social equity issues but also gives a platform for the fringes
- It’s the World Wide Web, which makes it easier for fringe elements to coalesce online
- Algorithms and hyperlinks are radicalizing all of us but especially our children. We’ve invented dark and dangerous rabbit holes
- Stark contrast with books as an information technology
- Overwhelmingly, the Internet is fueled by advertising. Controversy attracts eyeballs and clicks
- Tech speech companies are torn between need to operate in a functioning, decent society and the need to make money
Legal Issues
- Speech, even hate speech, is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which provides that “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech”
- Corporations are not bound by the First Amendment; it applies only to governments and governmental agents
- Services like Twitter and Facebook look like “public spaces” but they are not; they are private services regulated by terms and conditions.
- Corporations are not required to do business with other companies, even if the primary function of one business is speech (so Amazon can stop hosting Parler
- US law does not apply overseas (8chan, 8kun)
- “Free” speech does not mean “free from consequences”
What can parents do?
- Context, context, context. Many and persistent conversations with children about prejudice and the hate speech it can cause. Common Sense Media “Where Kids Find Hate Online”
- As much as practical, limit unsupervised time spent online. Kids don’t radicalize over night but a lot of radicalization does take place after bedtime!!!
- Particularly for younger children, consider the installation of filtering software. Use every parental control available
- Pay attention to kid behaviors, attitudes, media interests, hobbies, etc. What games are they playing? Are they developing a surprising interest in chemistry or wiring?
We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.
IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
- Simplify and streamline technology
- Save teachers’ time
- Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
- Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
