ABSTRACT
How has the rise of the internet and social media transformed political life? This book has suggested a fundamental rethinking of the ongoing debates around the impact of digital media on political life: the effects of digitalization on radicalization and polarization must be studied not through opinions and arguments but within the realms of collective identity, emotions, and discourse. Through this lens, precisely the features of online politics that were hailed by early optimists as heralding a democratic renaissance – such as the removal of gatekeepers and lowered barriers to political engagement – have instead catalyzed a wave of far-right extremist mobilization and brought about a more tribal and polarized political landscape. Today, anyone can join a virtual Klan meeting by merely reaching into their pocket and picking up their phone. As a result, forms of politics previously associated with violent extremist movements have now become part of the political mainstream: we engage with politics as part of our identity and view opposing partisans with contempt and anger. Drawing on the new understanding of online politics developed in this book, this concluding chapter points to the limitations of current approaches – and offers new ways for how we can constructively address political extremism on both the societal and individual levels.
