Mark Fishman

In Waghre’s model, he has a Group A, which kicks the storm off with a post that includes some piece of content or speech that is deemed dangerous by Group B. When Group B calls it out—a behavior incentivized by algorithmic engagement, as other members of Group B reward it—Group A members will usually double down.

As young single men have dramatically increased their time alone and online, they’ve marinated in a unique attentional environment that is more charged with extremist ideas and emotional negativity. Political scientists have found that social isolation increases the risk that young men develop a “need for chaos,” and law enforcement officers have... See more

Altogether, America has too much venting and not enough inventing.

If we take a step back for a second, the idea that if a political movement garners mass support, it can’t possibly be extremism, incompatible with democratic self-government, or beyond the pale in a broader cultural and societal sense is utterly implausible and historically illiterate

So many of these social-media conflicts involve the amplification of other content—the best example here is the quote tweet. An amplification of something you disagree with will create awareness and act as a signal. But that signal will likely recruit members from both sides of the conflict. It may have the intended effect of creating pressure on... See more

Early Internet users used alternate spelling or “leetspeak” to bypass word filters in chat rooms, image boards, online games and forums. But algorithmic content moderation systems are more pervasive on the modern Internet, and often end up silencing marginalized communities and important discussions.