BREEDING GROUNDS OR ECHO CHAMBERS? EXPLORING THE FORMS OF EXTREMISM IN HAIL'S VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

The present study aims at examining the forms of extremism present in the virtual environment of Hail. The study offered insights into the virtual environment, serving as a breeding ground for new beliefs or echo chambers that reinforce extremist beliefs. The study employed a qualitative research approach. Interviews were conducted with 20 individuals who were at some point engaged with extremist content in the virtual environment. The responses of the individuals identified the five most prevalent forms of extremism in the virtual environment of hail: Political extremism, Religious extremism, Racial and Ethnic supremacism, Gender-based extremism, and Anti-government and conspiracy theories. The results of the finding revealed five key themes: The prevailing nature of extremist content, the Driving force behind engaging with extremist content, the Mechanism for the distribution of extremist content, the Effect of extremist content on individuals, and Strategies for effective countering of extremist content. Consequently, based on the analysis, the virtual environment of Hail possesses features of both the breeding ground and the echo chamber. Even though such areas can foster and strengthen new radical ideas and sentiments, they help sustain previously existing ones, resulting in a rather diverse environment of the radicalization process. The findings support the call for better content filtering, campaigns to raise general media literacy, and the creation of more open online social sites to counter the effects.