Publications
Memorandum No. 195, INSS, October 2019
Recent years have seen a growth in the public’s awareness of how radical jihadist movements, such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, exploit the social media discourse to radicalize, recruit, and deploy young people in the West in service of their terrorist causes. This article traces the roots of these radicalization processes and explains the mechanisms that motivate young people, raised as citizens of democratic nations, to choose radical ideologies and serve organizations operating against those nations. The article claims that a broad spectrum of ideological, economic, and psychological factors—amplified because of the technological features of social media—have created a rich petri dish for sowing radicalization among normally law-abiding people. This has ramifications for the national security of democratic states, as the social media discourse is liable to generate polarization, violence, and permanent undermining of the social order, which threatens their citizens’ identity and personal safety.