Far-right online content is a danger to children – but I’ve seen how it can radicalise older people, too
Paul went from talking about birdwatching to sharing videos of Tommy Robinson and embracing conspiracy theories. Who is protecting him?
Some people should never have a smartphone – and I want to tell you about one of them. For the past couple of decades, Paul* had a classic Nokia brick-style phone. He could make calls – even send the odd text if we were lucky. But, a few years ago, he got a smartphone. At first, nothing changed much. He was reconnecting with friends, discovering emojis – there were no concerns. It has only been recently that the phone has become a problem, and that’s because he has stumbled across social media. And he is on it constantly.
What do we know about Paul? He has time on his hands and, having grown up in an era when encyclopedias were the main source of knowledge, he has little media literacy when it comes to analysing sources and figuring out which ones he should trust. I can see why he probably takes it for granted that what he reads on his phone is true.
*Name has been changed
Related Knowledge Center: Social media
Social media platforms are the source of news for millions of people — and they have a fraught and ever-shifting relationship with the enterprises that provide that news.
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