From Memes to Radicalization: How Social Media Draws Young People into Extreme Bubbles

A worrying trend has been observed in recent years. More and more young people are slipping into extremist ideologies, be it right-wing extremism, religious fundamentalism or other radical movements. They are not the perpetrators, but rather victims of a system that draws them into these bubbles. A decisive factor in this is social media.

The Role of Social Media in Radicalization

Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Telegram have an enormous influence on the opinion formation of young people. Here, content is not spread through long texts or complicated arguments, but through images, short videos and, especially effectively, through memes.

Memes are humorous, often sarcastic or cynical images and videos that convey a specific message. They are easy to understand, easy to share and can reach an enormous audience. Originally harmless, memes have also been used as a tool for manipulation over the years. What is particularly problematic is that they can trivialize or even ridicule historical horrors such as the Holocaust or dictatorships.

It all started with harmless stickers?

My guess is that the entry into these problematic thought patterns began with seemingly harmless WhatsApp stickers. Years ago, stickers were circulating that depicted Hitler or other dictators in an ironic way. For many young people, this was just a joke, without thinking about what they were actually sharing. And this is exactly where the problem begins. When Hitler suddenly becomes a joke figure, his actions are unconsciously trivialized. The boundaries between satire and glorification become blurred.

How Social Media Promotes Trivialization

Memes on TikTok, Instagram and Telegram amplify this effect even further. What starts as fun can quickly turn into creeping manipulation. Young people who are constantly confronted with such content become numb. It starts with ironic jokes about the Holocaust, continues with questionable comments in group chats and suddenly they end up on platforms where real radical ideologies are spread.

Many of these young people don't even realize that they are being pulled further and further in an extreme direction. The algorithm of these platforms plays a key role in this. If it recognizes that someone is interested in such content, it suggests more and more of it. In this way, they slide deeper into a dangerous bubble without realizing it.

Prevention – How to protect young people from it

Radicalization often takes place in secret. Parents, teachers and society must therefore actively counteract it. Prevention does not just mean banning radical content, but also educating people about it. This includes:

• Education about history and ideologies. Young people need to understand why certain topics are sensitive and what real consequences extremist ideologies have had.

• Start discussions instead of banning them. Young people who come into contact with questionable content should not be judged, but taken seriously. They must be shown that they could slide down a dangerous path.

• Strengthen media literacy. Young people must learn to critically question content. Why was a meme created? What is the message behind it? Is it really just a joke or is there more to it?

• Offer alternative narratives. Instead of just saying what is bad, young people should be inspired by positive values. Solidarity, democracy and human rights must be actively presented as attractive alternatives.

Conclusion

Social media is not just a harmless pastime, but a powerful tool that can be used for both education and manipulation. Society cannot stand idly by. Only preventive education, honest conversations and conscious media education can prevent young people from slipping into dangerous ideologies.