The government appears to be increasingly concerned about the role of social media in the ‘radicalisation’ of young people. Stories about young jihadis who travel to Syria to join ISIS, or those who commit acts of terror at home, frequently make great play of the role of the internet in exposing them to ‘extremist ideologies’.
Yet the government’s educational strategy seems strangely contradictory. On the one hand, its anti-radicalisation programme Prevent includes ‘suspicion of mainstream media’ as one of a list of tell-tale signs of emerging extremism in young people. Yet on the other hand, its fears of online radicalisation have prompted a review of internet provision in schools, with a view to restricting and monitoring students’ access. The idea that young people might be encouraged to take a critical approach to media doesn’t seem to be on the agenda.