Call to Arms: Social Media and Far-Right Narratives of COVID-19

Whilst most of us isolating due to COVID-19 trawl social media for factual information, updated guidelines and messages of hope to counter fear, the far-right instead see this fear as the perfect storm for accelerationism. Accelerationism in simple terms is a deeply held far-right ideology, which aims to exploit events of great magnitude and suffering to hasten the collapse of society as it stands; further allowing it to be rebuilt in a superior manner and one which supports the core tenants of white supremacist movements – ‘we must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children’. COVID-19 is an opportunity of timing, origin and consequence, ideal for such exploitation by the far-right.