# IWDK21 - TRUST & TECH
LEARN MORE ABOUT DIGITAL CULTURE AT IWDK21
MAY 5TH
Event : ‘ Verdens Bedste Fans - eSporten og dens fankultur ’ ( in Danish )
Kids Tech : This event and many others related to online culture will be held on the ‘ Kids Tech & Gaming Stage ’ that can be used for teaching lessons in school .
Stream : The event is free to stream live 5 . May 2021 , but requires registration at www . iwdk . dk
THE GOLDEN AGE OF CONSPIRACY THEORIES IS HAPPENING ONLINE
Online platforms with anonymous users are a tinderbox for mistrust and lies . But how serious is the problem ? And how should we handle the challenges that follow ? Christian Mogensen , special consultant for Center for Digital Pædagogik , attempts an answer .
By Alexander Loft Birkmose
4chan and 8kun might not mean much to you . You were probably one of the confused people who followed the events where the American Parliament was stormed by demonstrators earlier this year . This was a historic and troubling event that came into existence on the online platforms of 4chan and 8kun with the conspiracy theory about QAnon .
The theory is that there is a shadow government of powerful people who are part of a sadistic paedophile ring , which is conspiring against Donald Trump and his followers . It might sound surreal but online forums like 4chan and 8kun have created a culture of distrust which is impacting society .
Excluded On 4chan and 8kun the content is not monitored ; the users are anonymous , and the topics and the tone are often extreme . Christian Mogensen from the Center for Digital Pædagogik points out that the users of these platforms are often banned from more mainstream social platforms like Facebook and Twitter :
“ These platforms are an example of the kind of conversations that take place between people who have been excluded . Sometimes it can be interesting topics with lots of depth . But typically , it ’ s the people that no one else wants to listen to .” The topics on 4chan and 8kun are for
example politics , society , gender , sexuality and technology . The difference to the ‘ softer ’ social media is , according to Mogensen , that the tone can be extremely rough and elitist .
“ Instead of thinking they want to be a part of the established social platforms again they tell each other that whoever is still there is wrong and haven ’ t understood it yet . The users of these platforms believe they ’ ve been excluded because they ’ re speaking truth to power ,” Mogensen says .
“ Q sent me ” For some , it ’ s hard to accept being banned from Facebook or Twitter because they ’ ve said something wrong or dangerous . That is the reason why , according to Mogensen , there is a certain psychological and social reframing happening with some of the users on platforms like 4chan and 8kun :
“ Instead of seeing yourself as the village idiot you suddenly become part of the romantic narrative of a resistance movement . The ones , who have seen the light . The ones , who know the truth .”
In the beginning of January , a large group of people stormed the American Parliament on Capitol Hill in Washington D . C . This all began with the conspiracy theory about QAnon , which started on 4chan and 8kun .
Christian Mogensen , special consultant for Center for Digital Pædagogik
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