Prepare
Teens and young adults can be exposed to online hate via mainstream and fringe social networking sites, messaging applications, video sharing platforms, and online-gaming communication channels. Violent extremists use these online spaces to promote their propaganda and share their hateful or violent ideologies, often disguised as entertaining content. To increase the online safety of teens and young adults, caregivers need to understand the platforms where hate is most prevalent.
Here are some of the main platforms where teens and young adults see hate online:
Messaging Applications
A messaging application or “app” is a chat application or platform that enables users to instant message and connect with each other through their computers or mobile devices.[1] Messaging apps include Facebook Messenger, Kik, WhatsApp, WeChat, Snapchat, Telegram, Signal, and Slack to name a few. These apps are easy to use and provide a free, easy way to instantly connect with others around the world. However, their lack of security measures may expose youth and young adults to unwanted contact and unmonitored distribution of information and materials. Messaging apps have increasingly become a space where violent extremists communicate their message and recruit new members to their movement.
[1] Encryption refers to the process of scrambling data so that messages cannot be read by anyone other than the sender and recipient
Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites allow individuals to create a public profile and interact with others online, including family, friends, and strangers. In the 2000s, mainstream social networking sites like Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter), were used by violent extremists to spread their hateful ideologies and recruit. In recent years, Facebook and X attempted to block violent extremist users from using their sites to amplify these ideologies. As a result, other platforms, like Parler, were created and promoted as a much friendlier platform to potential users and those looking to engage in recruitment activities.
As of January 2025, Facebook and X have shifted away from third-party fact-checking towards a “Community Notes” style system, relaxing some moderation practices to focus more on severe and illegal content. The sites have also modified “hateful conduct” policies, which some experts and advocates fear could encourage online hate, particularly towards marginalized groups.
Gaming-Adjacent Communication Platforms
Gaming-adjacent communication platforms are popular in the video game community. There is little evidence of recruitment and radicalization inside video game chats; however, gaming-adjacent communications platforms meant to connect gamers outside of the online games themselves have attracted violent extremists. Platforms such as Discord, Twitch, Roblox, DLive, and Steam provide opportunities for anonymous interaction and community building that can potentially be exploited. If young people unknowingly join one of these spaces, they run the risk of being radicalized.
Video Sharing Platforms
Video sharing platforms, such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Rumble, are particularly popular with teens and young adults. They allow users to upload videos, share videos with other users and view, rate, and comment on videos uploaded by other users. Some of these platforms also allow users to subscribe to the channels and public activities of others. Extremists use these platforms to broadcast their own ideologies, since graphic videos with hate-based violence can easily go viral. Additionally, many of these video-sharing applications also have private and group messaging components, posing risks such as contact with potential threat actors, recruitment, and more.
Imageboard Websites
Imageboard websites such as 4chan and 8kun (formerly 8chan) are known for their user anonymity and loosely moderated content. While they host a variety of topics, including hobbies and interests, the lack of content moderation and anonymous nature of these sites allows for hate speech, graphic violence, and other inappropriate and potentially illegal content. They have also become associated with extreme ideologies and criminal activity. 4chan has been linked to several attacks and terrorist incidents, serving as a platform for sharing extremist content and coordinating violent acts. 8kun became a hub for participants in the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, with discussions on the board even including threats against politicians and police officers.
