Social media has helped normalise the far right. The algorithms amplify and advance strong feelings and opinions and turn us all into consumers of extreme views. This has been identified in Enjoying the Fall, a new doctoral thesis at Karlstad University by Pasko Kisić-Merino.
– One example is how the idea of “the immigrant”, in particular the male immigrant, is constantly being connected to violence, criminality, and genderphobia at the hands of the far-right. It may not affect your opinions or the way you think overtly, but it can significantly affect what you think about and thus moves the needle in terms of what gets constructed and felt as normal, says Pasko.
The concept of ontological security is central to the thesis. It refers to the “coherent” narratives or stories that we create about ourselves through time, and we reinforce through practices, rituals, and performances. Ontological insecurity, on the other hand, refers to a threat to these narratives of self and community - i.e., identity (e.g., Sweden as a nation). The histories and identities we carry, as individuals or groups, thus become perceived and felt as at risk of being harmed. In that line, the reproduction and normalisation of fantasies – narratives and images of producing reality – of a glorious shared past (for instance, imperial pasts or that of a “pure” ethnic homogeneity) can infuse those ideas with different forms of exclusion like racism, misogyny, xenophobia and, inevitably, violent conflict.
In his research, Pasko argues that social media benefit this type of rhetoric, which places far-right fantasies front and centre in the debate.
– We consume political conflict and far-right rhetoric as entertainment. It makes us horrified, self-righteous, and/or angry, yet in the way in which we experience and share these emotional experiences and reinforce our identities, we substantially aid the normalisation of the far right which relies on this perverse type of engagement. It is a built-in feature in neoliberal social media, says Pasko.
– I came to realise that during my research. It is not only a matter of the far-right knowing how to use social media efficiently (which they do) – rather, this problem lies at the very core of how social media algorithms work to amplify engagement (and, thus, entertainment) and the structural incentives and conditions of the neoliberal machinery that supports them.
In Enjoying the Fall, Pasko has studied the US and Europe. But he can also identify distinguishing features in Sweden.
– As thoroughly studied over decades, Swedish self-perception is in large part based on being exceptional, being unique. There is a concept called ”Swedish exceptionalism”. We consider Swedish society uniquely civilised and advanced in many ways. We have, for instance, a very strong liberal democracy and have been long-time advocates for human rights, civil liberties, LGBTQ+ rights, peace and non-interventionism, strong community-building, and a strong (and solidary) welfare system. But that is also an image and identity that the far-right takes advantage of. Our promotion of gender equality or LGBTQ+ rights can for instance be turned into extreme Islamophobic rhetoric (see e.g., “pinkwashing”), just like that of folkhem (“the people’s home”) in defining “who” truly belongs to the Swedish community.
Who do you think should read your research?
– Masochists. Or anyone who wants to understand the shift currently happening, the fall of the empire, and who wants to build the society of the future. The major societal shift we are currently experiencing is also an opportunity for change. The rapid and uncertain change and fall of structures can be extremely painful yet also highly enjoyable in perverse way, which reinforces the neoliberal yoke on the production of political realities and emotions – most critically seen in the normalisation of the far-right. But there are opportunities for substantial democratic change there, too. If you want to understand the mess we are currently in, read my research!
Pasko Kisić-Merino defended his doctoral thesis in Political Science at Karlstad University on 28 March 2025. The thesis is titled ”Enjoying the Fall - The Normalisation of the Far-Right as an Algorithmically-Mediated Fantasy of Ontological (In)Security”.
You can find the doctoral thesis in full here
