Is Singapore doing enough to fight online youth radicalisation?

SINGAPORE — A Secondary 3 student, just 15 years old, became the youngest person to be dealt with under Singapore's terrorism law. The teenager was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for terrorism-related activities, which involved planning knife attacks to behead non-Muslims in popular tourist areas in Singapore.

The young man had become self-radicalised last year after viewing ISIS's beheading and suicide bombing videos online. He had even entertained thoughts of becoming a suicide bomber himself, fantasising about exploding himself.

This trend of self-radicalisation among the youth has been a growing concern in Singapore. In a parliamentary oral reply during March this year, Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, the Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development, said that the number of self-radicalised youths has increased and is getting younger.

"Since 2015, there have been 11 self-radicalised youths aged between 15 and 20 who were detained or issued with Restriction Orders under the ISA," he added.

Dr Faishal also highlighted that these youths were exposed to extremist and radical content through various online platforms, including gaming, chat, and social media platforms.

Why today's youths are glued to online content?

Some experts told Yahoo Southeast Asia that this concerning trend raises questions about the role of the internet and social media in radicalising young people.

According to Ahmad Helmi Mohamad Hasbi, a research analyst from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), it is important to understand that youths are naturally curious and seek answers to their questions. However, they may not understand how the internet works and can easily fall into a rabbit hole of extremist content without even realising it.

"Nowadays, they find answers on the internet, using Google for instance. However, more often, these individuals do not understand how the internet works, and then the algorithm leads them into a rabbit hole," he said.

Ustaz Helmi, a counsellor for the Religious Rehabilitation Group, a voluntary group that trains religious teachers to counsel those influenced by radical teachings, cited the example of youths searching for answers about religion online. They may come across exclusivist preachers and their ideas, which can lead them down a dangerous path of radicalisation.

But it is not just the lack of understanding about the internet that is contributing to online radicalisation among young people. Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib, the founding director of the Dialogue Centre, which facilitates conversations among different age groups, said there is also a communication gap between the older generation and today's youth.

"The youths feel that social media is their own space in which they can meet with their peers, share their concerns and address some of their issues that have been bothering them which they may not find the kind of platforms that can provide space for them in the real world or rather the offline space," he explained.

Shaping the sense of belonging for youths

However, there is a lack of guidance, and they could be easily convinced by cultural narratives put forth by various social media groups.

Imran added that teenagers have the desire to prove themselves and articulate their views, which may not necessarily align with the viewpoints of the previous generation. This desire to stand out and make a difference can be exploited by extremist groups or individuals who offer a sense of purpose and belonging.

On the other hand, RSIS senior analyst Benjamin Mok cautioned that it would be a mistake to oversimplify the issue of radicalisation and simply attribute it to youth seeking identity.

He emphasised that there are many healthy ways for young people to develop their identities and sense of belonging, from being a metalhead to being a soccer fan. However, the attraction towards consuming extremist content and being part of an antisocial community requires a deeper understanding of what motivates young people to engage in such destructive behaviour.

"It does require an immense momentum for someone to become used to watching videos of beheadings and terrorist attacks, and subsequently spouting hate speech," Mok noted.

Online radicalisation and exposure to extremist content is not limited to Singapore. In Britain, for instance, there have been alarming incidents where young children were found watching videos by self-styled misogynist influencer Andrew Tate, who blamed women for being raped.

The videos had gained immense popularity among some young boys, forcing schools to take action to prevent the spread of such toxic messages. Teachers had to intervene and speak to children who had watched these misogynistic videos posted by the online personality.

Combating online radicalisation in the real world

These incidents highlight the need for collective efforts to combat the rising trend of online radicalisation among young people, according to the experts.

To tackle this pressing concern in Singapore, Imran of the Dialogue Centre suggests providing alternative narratives and teaching young people to critically evaluate different viewpoints.

"If there's only one viewpoint, they might think that that is the only way to think about the world around them," he explained, adding that it is crucial to equip young people with the skills to navigate the internet safely and evaluate content effectively.

Safeguarding young people online is nonetheless a challenging task.

Kenneth Yeo, a senior analyst at RSIS, explained that the fight against online extremism is a constant learning competition, with terrorists adapting to policies and strategies designed to shut them down.

"Facebook and Twitter got too good at dealing with ISIS content on their platform, so ISIS migrated to more encrypted messaging platforms," he said.

Yeo believes that one way to combat online radicalisation is ironically through offline activities. Encouraging young people to engage in physical activities, such as sports and social events, can help them connect with their peers and substitute virtual communities online.

"Instead of combating virtual communities with more virtual communities, if youths spend more physical time with peer groups, I think that would be the best remedy against online extremism," he elaborated.

Shahrany Hassan, the founder and director of The Whitehatters, a non-government organisation that facilitates dialogue, also stresses the importance of a broader community of various faiths to come together and provide alternatives to ideas found on the web.

"We need to be able to present alternatives to our youth – what they can do to create positive meaning from their political and/or religious beliefs," she said.

"We are not having enough open and honest conversations on this issue. We need to be able to have a safe space where questions can be asked and support be given to those who need it, without apprehension or fear of repercussions."

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