Study: Hashtags and humour are used to spread extreme content on social media
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- 46 minutes ago | 5 points | 0 comments
- URL: https://news.ku.dk/all_news/2025/09/hashtags-and-humour-are-used-to-spread-extreme-content-on-social-media/
- Discussions: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45151573
- Summary: University of Copenhagen researchers warn that conspiracy theories, harassment and violence-promoting content increasingly circulate on mainstream platforms like Facebook and Instagram disguised as memes, jokes and hashtags—a practice they term “hybridisation.” By bundling unrelated conspiratorial tags (#flatearth, #covid, etc.) with everyday posts, users exploit social media algorithms to broaden reach and blur seriousness with irony, complicating responses from police and media. Such tactics can radicalise casual viewers and spill into real-world incidents, exemplified by threats against Danish health minister Magnus Heunicke and artist Aske Kreilgaard becoming fodder for U.S. conspiracy narratives. The authors urge traditional media to avoid amplifying baseless claims when covering these stories.
