“Drop a Bomb on Them . . . and Problem Solved!” An Analysis of Poverty Discourse on TikTok

Authors

  • Ana Mayagoitia-Soria Universidad Complutense de Madrid
  • Juan Manuel González-Aguilar Universidad Internacional de La Rioja
  • Salvador Gómez-García Universidad Complutense, Spain
  • María Antonia Paz-Rebollo Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Keywords:

critical discourse analysis, hate speech, aporophobia, racism, hate crimes, social networks, TikTok, Spain, comments, sustainable development goals

Abstract

This research analyzes the discursive characteristics of hate messages posted on TikTok Spain against people at risk of social exclusion. Using critical discourse analysis, we analyzed 679 hateful messages generated by 100 videos found about poverty. This method considered the social groups mentioned in those messages, actions attributed to them, the evaluative concepts associated with those actions, and the solutions proposed to eradicate this social problem. We used the qualitative analysis software Atlas.ti to code, categorize, and analyze co-occurrences of derogatory terms. The analysis shows that poverty is linked to migration, laziness, and groups at risk of exclusion. Although insults and degrading terms take on a metaphorical form or are less prevalent, the call to violent action is explicit, openly advocating the extermination of these groups. Underlying these messages is a clear neo-Nazi ideology gaining ground with the advance of the extreme political Right.

Author Biographies

Ana Mayagoitia-Soria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Department of Journalism and Global Communication, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.Ana Mayagoitia-Soria holds a Ph.D. in Audiovisual Communication, Advertising, and Public Relations. She is a postdoctoral fellow at Universidad Complutense de Madrid and guest researcher and professor at Universidad de Valladolid. Her research interests include Hate Speech on social media, politics as entertainment, the study of mass and digital media as educational and instructional tools, and Documentary Studies. 

Juan Manuel González-Aguilar, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja

Department of Management and Communication, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Madrid, Spain.Juan Manuel González-Aguilar is a postdoctoral fellow at Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR), Spain. His current research lines are focused on analyzing the creation of collective identities, and hate speech in social networks. His interests have also focused on the treatment of historical memory on digital platforms. He is currently part of an UNIR project funded by the Spanish government, which focuses on analyzing hate speech in social networks.

Salvador Gómez-García, Universidad Complutense, Spain

Faculty of Information SciencesDepartment of Journalism and Global Communication

María Antonia Paz-Rebollo, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Department Journalism and Global Communication, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.María Antonia Paz-Rebollo is a full-time professor in the Journalism and Global Communication department at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Her research focuses on the history and analysis of mass media. She is currently leading a research project on Hate Speech and its presence on social networks and digital media. 

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Published

2024-01-29

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Articles