We need to talk about the online radicalisation of young, white women

[IronLionZion]

http://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/internet/2017/08/we-need-talk-about-online-radicalisation-young-white-women

Alt-right women are less visible than their tiki torch-carrying male counterparts - but they still exist.

In November 2016, the writer and TED speaker Siyanda Mohutsiwa tweeted a ground-breaking observation. “When we talk about online radicalisation we always talk about Muslims. But the radicalisation of white men online is at astronomical levels,” she wrote, inspiring a series of mainstream articles on the topic (“We need to talk about the online radicalisation of young, white men,” wrote Abi Wilkinson in The Guardian). It is now commonly accepted that online radicalisation is not limited to the work of Isis, which uses social media to spread propaganda and recruit new members. Young, white men frequently form alt-right and neo-Nazi beliefs online.

But this narrative, too, is missing something. When it comes to online radicalisation into extreme right-wing, white supremacist, or racist views, women are far from immune.

“It’s a really slow process to be brainwashed really,” says Alexandra*, a 22-year-old former-racist who adopted extreme views during the United States presidential election of 2016. In particular, she believed white people to be more intelligent than people of colour. “It definitely felt like being indoctrinated into a cult.”

Alexandra was “indoctrinated” on 4Chan, the imageboard site where openly racist views flourish, especially on boards such as /pol/. It is a common misconception that 4Chan is only used by loser, basement-dwelling men. In actuality, 4Chan’s official figures acknowledge 30 percent of its users are female. More women may frequent 4Chan and /pol/ than it first appears, as many do not announce their gender on the site because of its “Tits or GTFO” culture. Even when women do reveal themselves, they are often believed to be men who are lying for attention.

“There are actually a lot of females on 4chan, they just don't really say. Most of the time it just isn't relevant,” says Alexandra. Her experiences on the site are similar to male users who are radicalised by /pol/’s far-right rhetoric. “They sowed the seeds of doubt with memes,” she laughs apprehensively. “Dumb memes and stuff and jokes…

As a POC, I've seen quite often online that people are assumed to be white until proven otherwise. Apparently online people are assumed to be male until proven otherwise also. Radicalized white supremacist women seem to fly under the radar in many cases. It also seems to baffle people how women would join ISIS but it appears they use similar tactics to slowly brainwash people through social media. There is a lot of stuff happening behind the scenes that we don't see, as it's not all tiki torches and beatings.

The article shares the story of a former nazi who shares how she got pulled into it and how she got out after prison.

[BigmanPigman]

1. I guess she's too moronic to realize the alt-right right

has a heavy duty misogynist ideology.

[IronLionZion]

2. The article addresses misogyny and women's roles in the movement

some women are into that sort of thing

[msongs]

3. we need to stop using their preferred term alt-right and call them what they really are..

white racist, white supremacist, neo nazi, or other more descriptive terms based on actual beliefs and actions

[bettyellen]

4. It's funny how no one writes about how male centered this shit is.....

I mean we see it but few comment on how heavily male the movement is. Yet this is the third piece I've seen on women. Dudes gotta fix their own culture so they spew this crap instead. Half of these guys were red pill idiots.
But yeah, notallmen. We know.

[bluepen]

5. "No one writes about how male centered this shit is..."

Right.

Start here: https://psmag.com/news/on-the-milo-bus-with-the-lost-boys-of-americas-new-right

And here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/glanton/ct-charlottesville-violence-dahleen-glanton-met-20170813-column.html

And here: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/13/james-damore-google-memo-youtube-white-men-radicalization

Tons of it out there.

[bettyellen]

9. I do t think the Milo piece counts, but I've seen three about women this week

While it is a majority men, so it's weird. I thought the Milo piece was really about how they're literally teenagers- stupid teens doing it for shits and giggles.

[IronLionZion]

6. Did you read the piece?

[bettyellen]

10. Yeah, it has as many examples of female Muslim radicals, LOL

And one interview with an admitted outlier who was actually violent herself. An outlier.

[IronLionZion]

11. The main point is they are less visible and work behind the scenes online

and Alexandra expressed her initial disgust with far left and feminists, which led her down the road towards hating other types of people. She had a lot of loneliness and anger that made it appealing to join these groups.

There are female commanders who do a lot of planning and communications/strategy work.

[bettyellen]

12. Because one woman imagines that many on 4chan are women? It's not like she's saying

She's met large groups of them, you'd think she would.
It's bizarre these online radicalization stories went from Muslim only, to boys on 4chan to "women just as much" in mere months. Of course some women are involved, but those guys we saw leading it are mostly young and on their own- no partners. And it's related to their disrespect for women as well.

There were at most 10% at those rallies, and that's very significant. If women were driving this thing, there'd be a bigger presence.

[MineralMan]

7. I would never use 4chan as an example of anything.

That website is among the most useless and ridiculous anywhere on the Internet. I appreciate that it exists for its uncanny ability to attract and provide a home for the most idiotic of people.

If they're busy there, they stay out of our hair.

[IronLionZion]

8. White supremacist groups recruit from there

and send people into our hair to commit hate crimes.

[ismnotwasm]

13. I don't assume they are male

I assume they are bitter assholes with really shitty information and minds closed so hard light can't escape. That being said, most are male, and the majority of leaders are certainly male. There is a reason the excetable MRA's are tied in with nazis.

[bettyellen]

14. We barely looked at how male driven this is before the spate of "women too"

Articles appeared. It seems like to took that Googler tomshow what a wide swath of men imagine their genes make them superior for one reason or another. So weird.