Hate Speech on Social Media in the Axis of Islamophobia: Example of TikTok

Öz

This study focuses on the detection and analysis of Islamophobic hate speech on the TikTok platform. Social media platforms have a great impact in terms of reaching masses and sharing information. However, these platforms can also pave the way for the spread of negative content such as hate speech and discrimination. TikTok draws attention with its short video format, which is especially popular among young people. For this reason, it offers an important area of investigation in terms of the spread of hate speech and discrimination content. In this study, posts containing Islamophobic hate speech on TikTok were identified through the keywords ‘Islam’, ‘Muslim’, ‘Terrorist’, ‘Jihad’, ‘Sharia’, ‘Radical Islam’ and ‘Islamist’. These keywords were chosen from the terms that commonly define Islamophobic discourse in the literature. The 10 TikTok posts selected using simple random sampling technique were analysed by critical discourse analysis method. Critical discourse analysis is a method that analyses how texts and speeches gain meaning in the social context and how these meanings reflect social power relations. In the study, linguistic and visual analyses of Islamophobic content on TikTok were conducted. The research was conducted in the first six months of 2024. The data collection process carried out during this period was obtained as a result of the scans carried out on TikTok using the keywords mentioned above. The results of the study show that Islamophobic hate speech is spread linguistically and discursively through posts on TikTok. Islamophobic content reinforces negative stereotypes against Muslims and damages social cohesion. Such content leads to marginalisation, exclusion and violence against Muslims. Islamophobia and hate speech increase social polarisation and create distrust and hostility in society.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Social Media
• Hate Speech
• Tiktok
• Islamophobia
• Anti-Muslim

İslamofobi Ekseninde Sosyal Medyada Nefret Söylemi: TikTok Örneği

Öz

Bu çalışma, TikTok platformunda İslamofobik nefret söylemlerinin tespiti ve analizine odaklanmaktadır. Sosyal medya platformları, kitlelere ulaşma ve bilgi paylaşımı açısından büyük bir etkiye sahiptir. Ancak bu platformlar nefret söylemi ve ayrımcılık gibi olumsuz içeriklerin yayılmasına da zemin hazırlayabilmektedir. TikTok, özellikle gençler arasında popüler olan kısa video formatıyla dikkat çekmektedir. Bu nedenle nefret söylemi ve ayrımcılık içeriklerinin yayılması açısından önemli bir inceleme alanı sunmaktadır. Çalışmada, TikTok üzerinde İslamofobik nefret söylemi içeren paylaşımlar "İslam", "Müslüman", "Terörist", "Cihat", "Şeriat", "Radikal İslam" ve "İslamcı" anahtar kelimeleri aracılığıyla tespit edilmiştir. Bu anahtar kelimeler literatürde yaygın olarak İslamofobik söylemi tanımlayan terimlerden seçilmiştir. Basit rastgele örnekleme tekniği kullanılarak seçilen 10 TikTok paylaşımı, eleştirel söylem analizi yöntemiyle incelenmiştir. Eleştirel söylem analizi, metinlerin ve konuşmaların toplumsal bağlamda nasıl anlam kazandığını ve bu anlamların toplumsal güç ilişkilerini nasıl yansıttığını inceleyen bir yöntemdir. Çalışmada, TikTok'taki İslamofobik içeriklerin dilsel ve görsel analizleri yapılmıştır. Araştırma, 2024 yılının ilk altı ayında gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bu dönemde yapılan veri toplama süreci, TikTok'ta yukarıda belirtilen anahtar kelimeler kullanılarak gerçekleştirilen taramalar sonucunda elde edilmiştir. Çalışmanın sonuçları, TikTok'ta paylaşımlar üzerinden İslamofobik nefret söylemlerinin dilsel ve söylemsel olarak yayıldığını göstermektedir. İslamofobik içerikler, Müslümanlara yönelik olumsuz stereotipleri pekiştirmekte ve toplumsal uyumu zedelemektedir. Bu tür içerikler, Müslümanların marjinalleşmesine, dışlanmasına ve şiddete maruz kalmasına yol açmaktadır. İslamofobi ve nefret söylemi, toplumsal kutuplaşmayı artırmakta ve toplumda güvensizlik ve düşmanlık oluşturmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sosyal Medya
• Nefret Söylemi
• Tiktok
• İslamofobi
• İslam Karşıtlığı

Kaynakça

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