During and Beyond the Pandemic: conspiratorial and radical groups online and offline as a sign of the persistence of social complexity in Italy

Abstract

Lack of knowledge and contested opinions about the effects and safety of the Covid-19 vaccine caused fear, anxiety and health concerns, encouraging the spread of disinformation and fake news in a social context, notably in Europe, where distrust of political and health institutions prevails. The purpose of this contribution is to examine the evolution of issues related to the pandemic and post pandemic emergency contexts, shifting to new subjects such as the Ukraine War, but reiterating a digital attack on democracy and the debate on bio-laboratories as key arguments of online and offline radical groups. A three-step research design was developed to investigate these aspects, focusing on conspiratorial and radical groups that still discuss different topics related to issues emerging from the pandemic but also current events.
To better understand the evolution of radical groups, a mixed-method approach was chosen, combining quantitative analysis of social media content with qualitative interviews of protest participants. By examining the language and themes used in online spaces such as Twitter and comparing them with the experiences of protestors in the streets, researchers were able to better understand the motivations, beliefs and strategies. The combination of digital analysis and face-to-face interviews provides a comprehensive view of how conspiratorial thinking and radical activism persist in the post-pandemic era, offering valuable insights into the complexities of contemporary political and social groups and movements.