No One Knows What ‘Terminally Online’ Means Anymore

“No 1 personification owns a meme, they're a cosmopolitan template,” says Matthew Kriner, executive head of nan Institute for Countering Digital Extremism. “We do not spot a meme itself arsenic an denotation of what nan ideology down it is.” This hasn’t stopped group from attempting to usage nan memes arsenic impervious that Robinson was portion of a definite governmental groups. Some wholly misunderstood nan memes, specified arsenic nan BBC’s Mike Wendling, who suggested successful a post that a gaming reference, which was later attributed to Helldivers 2, mightiness beryllium linked to antifa. Others, for illustration the Telegraph analyzed purported connections betwixt Robinson and nan Groypers.

Sadly, Groypers aren’t nan only online group that uses nan connection and practices of memes to advocator and perpetrate acts of governmental violence. As far-right movements person gained important governmental powerfulness worldwide, nan irony seems to person been replaced by nihilism. The past fewer years person seen caller net movements for illustration nan Com network and 764. These groups, made up mostly of isolated underage people, are centered astir criminal acts specified arsenic committing abusive, violent, and exploitative practices for illustration sextortion successful nan sanction of creating nan astir chaos and fearfulness possible, pinch nary different ideological aliases governmental agenda. The FBI has categorized these groups arsenic NVE (nihilistic convulsive extremism), and they run successful overmuch nan aforesaid ways, and on nan aforesaid vectors, arsenic much benign online communities.

“In nan 2010s, radicalization was astir being nan underdog, utilizing grievance civilization to displacement narratives,” says Jamie Cohen, professor of media studies astatine Queens College. “Today, nan institutions are afloat captured by far-right narratives. The civilization is shifted, truthful radicalization is stochastic incidents designed to sow chaos.”

There's nary denotation Robinson was a personnel of immoderate of these NVE groups, though they connection discourse into really these crimes tin often deficiency immoderate governmental intent aliases meaning. “We often investigation individual perpetrators to understand really memetic elements fresh into nan larger information and history of their lives,” says Kriner. “[With Robinson] we person small to nary nationalist information, truthful making inferences is challenging, if not impossible, based connected what we person successful nan nationalist oculus correct now.”

New specifications person emerged that springiness immoderate further grounding without thing definitive. Some reports claimed that Robinson was not registered pinch either governmental party, but that some his parents were registered Republicans; according to tribunal docs, his mother said he became much invested successful “pro-gay and trans rights” successful caller months.

In nan aforementioned matter exchange, Robinson allegedly said “I had capable of his hatred” successful reference to Kirk. Independent newsman Ken Klippenstein, meanwhile, investigated a Discord server frequented by Robinson and reported that Robinson virtually ne'er mentioned politics, focusing alternatively connected games for illustration Helldivers 2, which is straight referred to by 1 of nan engraved memes.

Robinson’s Discord server seems to person been a conventionally silly and friends net community. The nonstop benignant of abstraction that still exists and flourishes connected nan net alongside nan much convulsive and chaotic groups. Similarly, nan memes cited by rule enforcement that were inscribed connected nan bullets started retired arsenic harmless in-jokes earlier they were fixed a new, deadly discourse past week.

“We often usage memes arsenic indicators, arsenic guideposts of wherever to look deeper,” said Kriner. “They tin beryllium a adjuvant tool, but they tin besides beryllium a distraction.” And without a clear knowing of nan discourse and civilization surrounding these memes, they look to person been a distraction for astir group looking for meaning.