2025/01/28 by Michael Robert Haupt, Haupt, Michael Robert, Meng Zhen Larsen +7
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #FOS: Computer and information sciences #FOS: Physical sciences #Human-Computer Interaction (cs.HC) #J.4 #K.4.2 #Media, Religion, Digital Communication #Misinformation and Its Impacts #Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph) #Social and Information Networks (cs.SI) #Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2501.16668
openalex publication_date 2025/01/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
As radical messaging has proliferated on social networking sites, platforms like Reddit have been used to host support groups, including support communities for the families and friends of radicalized individuals. This study examines the subreddit r/QAnonCasualties, an online forum for users whose loved ones have been radicalized by QAnon. We collected 1,665 posts and 78,171 comments posted between 7/2021 and 7/2022 and content coded top posts for prominent themes. Sentiment analysis was also conducted on all posts. We find venting, advice and validation-seeking, and pressure to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine were prominent themes. 40% (n=167) of coded posts identified the Q relation(s) of users as their parent(s) and 16.3% (n=68) as their partner. Posts with higher proportions of words related to swearing, social referents, and physical needs were positively correlated with engagement. These findings show ways that communities around QAnon adherents leverage anonymous online spaces to seek and provide social support.