Dr Kaitlyn Regehr, Lecturer in Media Studies in the School of Arts, has just been interviewed by the The Express newspaper about her research on Incel culture, and how lockdown may have an effect on the movement.
Kaitlyn explains: ‘we have yet to see the lasting impacts of social distancing on this community. Feeling excluded is a common theme on Incel forums. As such, some incels may feel that social distancing removes some social pressure and they might be relieved to know they aren’t missing out on anything. However, more time online can also mean more time spent on some of the darker forms, which isn’t a good thing. The digital sphere amplifies dangerous ideologies, which populate these forums. These ideologies are then solidified by the echo-chamber effect, where high dosages of violent content are consumed regularly and become normalised and established as a fixed belief’.
The full article can be read on The Express website here:
www.express.co.uk/news/world/1287851/Incel-news-coronavirus-lockdown-Canada-stabbing-terror-ideology-misogyny