08.09.2025 |
magazine issue | 09/2025
written by Mary Ortega
The viral power of migrant crime messaging: Fear, emotion, and algorithms
keywords:
migrant crime messaging / fear appeals / social media algorithms / misinformation / digital psychology
The viral power of migrant crime messaging: Fear, emotion, and algorithms
Fear-driven stories about migrant crime continue to circulate widely across social media platforms. This article examines how emotional triggers, psychological shortcuts, and platform design interact to influence public perception. The result is a digital environment where fear spreads faster than facts and reinforces harmful stereotypes. / more