Why are conspiracy theories, extremist rhetoric, and acts of
antagonism by fringe elements of society so much more visible today
than in years past? The Capitol Insurrection of January 6, 2021, and
the surge of medical skepticism during the global COVID-19 pandemic
have highlighted the challenge of extreme rhetoric in global society,
with increasing attention paid to the enabling role of the Internet.
But beyond the ways in which the Internet allows for connection, how
do fringe ideas travel into the mainstream to become more significant
movements?In _Subversion 2.0_, Christopher Whyte describes the
transformation of societal subversion in the digital age. Whyte makes
the case that "leaderlessness"--characterized by an evolving and
uneven feedback loop linking fringe spaces to mainstream elite
rhetoric and popular discourse--has emerged in recent years as the
default format of subversive activity. Through case explorations and
novel data, Whyte shows how extreme narratives that originate in
conspiratorial, restrictive virtual spaces are rapidly filtered into
mainstream settings due to a series of socio-technological conditions
present in the Web 2.0 era. As a result, fringe narratives and symbols
often become the lens through which social and political elites
interpret information that they then spread through public speech,
which is projected back to subversive spaces and used to perpetuate
fringe narratives. By examining the uneven feedback loop of
leaderlessness, Whyte argues that social Internet platforms act as a
vehicle for transmitting and amplifying extreme rhetoric but often
fail to moderate extremism in turn. He ultimately shows how societal
subversion, an activity that is about degrading existing power
structures without directly attacking them, has taken on a new,
dynamic form in the digital age.
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Leaderlessness, the Internet, and the Fringes of Global Society
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780197773383
Publisert
2024
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
Oxford University Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter