Digitaler Nährboden?

Gaming-adjacent platforms are becoming increasingly important in research into radicalization processes. Julian Schell addresses the question of the significance of technical and social affordances for online radicalization mechanisms in the digital space. Based on an interdisciplinary theoretical approach that combines affordance theory, social identity theory, and the radicalization puzzle, the author comparatively examines the gaming-adjacent platforms Steam, Discord, and Twitch. The results show that platform-specific structures can open up opportunities for extremist communication. The text is aimed at readers from the fields of sociology, media and radicalization research, as well as actors in prevention practice.