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The hate algorithm: How social media fuels radicalization
Justin Brown-Ramsey, now a history PhD student at Brown University, knows that journey firsthand. Back in 2015, during his high school years, his parents were going through a divorce. Struggling to cope, he started spending more and more time online. That’s when he stumbled across Jordan Peterson — a Canadian psychologist, YouTuber, and right-wing guru of sorts. On screen, Peterson offered something Justin badly needed: empathy, understanding, and what seemed like straightforward advice on how to take control of his life. But wrapped in that message were also conservative talking points about the decline of Western civilization and the evils of “cancel culture.”
The YouTube algorithm quickly picked up on Justin’s interest. Soon, his feed was full of right-wing and far-right bloggers, influencers, and political commentators, and it wasn’t long before this was the only kind of content Justin was seeing. He began spending hours arguing with strangers in the comment sections of #MeToo videos, parroting Peterson’s debate tactics and trying to outwit “the leftists.”
Bit by bit, he drifted away from his friends. Disagreements over racism, trans rights, and other hot-button issues became rifts that couldn’t be patched up. The deeper he sank into his online world, the more isolated he felt in real life. What eventually pulled him out wasn’t a viral post or a change of algorithm — but education. Studying history gave him the tools to step back, reconnect, and start thinking more critically.
Not everyone gets that chance.