Despite being known for all the good reasons that have seen the thriving of e-commerce, e-learning, and interactivity among others, social media is also growing into a breeding ground for radicalization and we no longer need to look at terrorism as a physical war but rather an ideological war that calls for strategies to counter-narratives that trigger negative influence in the society.
Over the last decade, social media has continued to grow extensively creating some of the most powerful platforms to reach people on the planet. As a result, it has attracted people and groups with various intentions key among them terrorist organizations which have discovered that most youths are social media addicts, therefore, resorting to using the internet as a tool to propagate their agenda of radicalizing and recruiting new members.
We live in the internet era in which the majority of the people in the world have embraced technology in their daily activities.
It is worth noting that in as much as the internet has caused an immense change in the lives of many and generally impacted communication by simplifying the creation of networks among like-minded personalities, efforts to put security measures to regulate and censor any terrorist post has been futile following matters free speech and this has seen radicalized group continue disseminating propaganda and inciting fear.
The delays in Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms to adopt better security measures have led to the upsurge of social media accounts sharing radical messages hence the need for urgent measures to stop the younger generation from getting exposed to radical ideologies through the internet. Getting to identify radical posts, identifying online terror groups, and sharing multiple messages that counter their ideologies is the best way to neutralize and defeat terrorism. We live in the internet era in which the majority of the people in the world have embraced technology in their daily activities. This development has led to important changes in the organization and functioning of society, and as violent extremists and terrorists form part of this society, it is widely believed that the internet plays a crucial role in radicalization. Even as our soldiers give their best in the fight against terror attacks, we have a role to play individually to curb online radicalization. Parents, guardians, and teachers ought to be part and parcel of this war by being vigilant on what the youngsters do online.