Hate speech in social media activism

The goal of this study is to understand how hate speech emerges as part of political activism on social media. From a qualitative perspective, we developed a multi-method investigation. Our thematic content analysis delves into the motivations of activists and the consequences of social media conflicts, while our automated content analysis identifies the frequency of hate speech and the types of publications that lead to such reactions. Social media are democratic environments and fertile ground for ideological and political activism, which can sometimes spark violent, hate-filled debates that transform these environments into dangerous and toxic places. Among our main theoretical and practical results, we found that the self-construction of online havens or shelters contributes to the increase of social bubbles as well as the rise in hate speech and its consequences for the lives of individuals.