Dangerous games: This is how extremists radicalize our youth!

Dangerous games: This is how extremists radicalize our youth!

More and more young people are coming into the sphere of influence of extremist groups through computer games. The Ministry of the Interior of Baden-Württemberg warns against digital radicalization, which is perceived as an increasing threat. These developments will be discussed at the Interior Ministers' Conference in Bremerhaven, where measures to combat radicalization will be presented, such as sueddeutsche.de reports.

Extremism researchers have found that right-wing extremist, Islamist and conspiracy ideology groups in particular specifically target young people in gaming forums. These platforms offer anonymity, which makes it easier for extremists to contact young people unnoticed. This often happens via voice chats, private groups or through the distribution of disguised content.

Prevention measures

In view of the threatening situation, Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) emphasizes that children and young people spend a lot of time online, which means that they are increasingly becoming the focus of extremist actors. It is noted that the authorities are still in the early stages of combating radicalization. It is therefore essential that the interior ministers decide to comprehensively analyze extremist recruitment strategies on social media and gaming platforms.

Comprehensive cooperation between security authorities, platform operators and youth and media protection institutions should be developed in the form of suggestions for action. Nevertheless, the intervention is difficult because the technical barriers and the anonymity of the users are often a hindrance. Social media algorithms also help young people gain easier access to extremist content.

Research and cooperation

Against this background, the RadiGaMe research project was launched, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The project runs from 2023 to 2026 and is coordinated by the Center for Technology and Society at the Technical University of Berlin prif.org explains.

Other project partners are various institutions, including the Institute for Democracy and Civil Society in Jena, the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, the Ruhr University in Bochum as well as the modus|zad - Center for Applied Deradicalization Research in Berlin and the Berlin State Criminal Police Office. The measure aims to analyze threats in the digital space and develop prevention strategies.

In summary, the influence of extremists on the gaming community is a serious phenomenon that requires both preventive measures and in-depth research.