from Hacker News

UN says gamers leverage “toxic masculinity” to disguise extremism

by BrainVirus on 10/9/22, 3:36 PM with 9 comments

• by Comevius on 10/9/22, 4:03 PM

  You have to be blind if you don't see that extremist groups are using gaming platforms to disseminate their ideas and recruit. They are trying to use every platform, but the mainstream ones are starting to become better at weeding them out, and young Western audiences on the gaming platforms are specifically susceptible, because they tend to be isolated, which is what these groups thrive on.

  It has been long identified that these extremist groups can be best curbed by not letting them have access to audiences. Unfortunately now that they do it is likely that our countries are facing a new wave of violent extremism and terrorism. Free speech sounds wonderful, until you give an extremist group the power it needs to put knives, guns and bombs into the hands of isolated or disenfranchised people.

  Obviously the other solution is to not leave people behind, to not let them be isolated and disenfranchised in the first place. The problem is that in some countries like the United States many politicians are working on the opposite, because that's how they themselves get elected.