Is social media evil? Far-right riots have erupted in England after Monday’s atrocious events. Some point the finger at social media for spreading rumours and inspiring violence.
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Fake news sparks riots after killings
Is social media evil? Far-right riots have erupted in England after Monday's atrocious events. Some point the finger at social media for spreading rumours and inspiring violence.
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On Tuesday evening, more than 1,000 people in Southport joined a vigil to honour the victims of Monday's horrific knife attack.
A few hours later, hundreds of rioters took to the streets. They set cars on fire, attacked a shop and threw bricks at a mosque.
The police called it "a sustained and vicious attack", and 53 officers were injured during the unrest. More riots followed in London, Hartlepool, Manchester and Aldershot.
The rioters are believed to be supporters of IslamophobicDisliking Islam and Muslims. organisations. They had been fuelled by rumours that the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker.
This has no basis in fact. Initially the police revealed that their suspect was a 17-year-old boy born in Cardiff, then that his parents came from Rwanda: a largely Christian country. But this did not stop the thugs. He has since been named as Axel Rudakubana.
Angry mobs are a sad part of human history, and social media has allowed a wave of disinformationFalse information intended to mislead, including propaganda, which all too often encourages the spread of misinformation, fake news spread by mistake. It is contrasted with misinformation, which may be spread accidentally. to be spread to millions of people.
Soon after Monday's attacks, X was flooded with lies. Right-wing influences claimed the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker. Thousands of far-rightA range of ideologies that emphasise social order, racial purity and the elimination of opponents. users declared war on Islam in response.
Some think that Russian secret services might have planted the lies.
Rumours and gossip have provoked pogromsOrganised massacres of a particular ethnic groups, such as those of Jewish people in Russia and Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. and witch hunts in the past. But social media is not always a bad thing. It connects friends and can allow people to organise resistance against cruel regimes or respond to major crises.
And gossip existed long before social media.
Is social media evil?
Yes! Social media allows cruel lies to be spread, buries the truth in a mound of misinformation and allows evil empires to disinform huge sections of the population.
No! It is just the medium through which evil is spread. The real problems are prejudice, ignorance and the power of rumour.
FOR YOUR SUMMER READING CHALLENGE CLUE GO TO STEP SIX IN THE SIX STEPS TO DISCOVERY BELOW.
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Keywords
Islamophobic - Disliking Islam and Muslims.
Disinformation - False information intended to mislead, including propaganda, which all too often encourages the spread of misinformation, fake news spread by mistake. It is contrasted with misinformation, which may be spread accidentally.
Far-right - A range of ideologies that emphasise social order, racial purity and the elimination of opponents.
Pogroms - Organised massacres of a particular ethnic groups, such as those of Jewish people in Russia and Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Fake news sparks riots after killings
Tragedy: The three girls above died after a knife attack at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport on Monday. Eight other children and two adults were also injured. Glossary
Islamophobic - Disliking Islam and Muslims.
Disinformation - False information intended to mislead, including propaganda, which all too often encourages the spread of misinformation, fake news spread by mistake. It is contrasted with misinformation, which may be spread accidentally.
Far-right - A range of ideologies that emphasise social order, racial purity and the elimination of opponents.
Pogroms - Organised massacres of a particular ethnic groups, such as those of Jewish people in Russia and Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.