The investigation into the killing has found that the alleged shooter, 22-year old Tyler Robinson, was involved in social media groups aligned with left-wing ideology, including support for transgenderism.
It also found that his reportedly romantic partner and roommate is a member of the transgender community, and that Robinson is involved in online gaming, as well as the social app many gamers prefer called "Discord."
AFN connected with Emily Brownlee, an Ambassador and Speaker for ScreenStrong. She noted what Utah Governor Spencer Cox said, that "social media is a cancer."
“I would agree with that for a few reasons. Especially the No. 1 reason would be the persuasive design of it all and how engineers have designed us to click and scroll and comment on items or stories that are alarming or excessive or extreme,” she said.
Posts of that nature have a much higher rate of engagement.
“It’s something that just leads you down this really destructive rabbit hole of only seeing one side or constantly fighting with people that you are friends with,” Brownlee said.
As a result, users find themselves in conversations they would not have face-to-face with people, Brownlee said.
“It’s just so much easier for adults, children and teens alike, to be sitting behind a computer and typing words without any ramifications or looking someone in the eye and having empathy for the human that's on the other side of those comments."
As far as online gaming, she said it is just as dangerous. Child predators and more are known to exploit the lack of security on some online platforms.
Going after young boys
American boys are targeted, she said. Many of them are taken in quickly by adult professionals.
“These are extremely addictive platforms. They have child psychologists that work for these companies, and so they know exactly what triggers a boy to want to stay on longer and longer. They've tapped into evolution of the brain and what boys go after, especially the men, who have evolved to protect and to make sure that we thrive. There's a lot of violence."
Brownlee noted how certain situations or companies such as Discord, allow you to go online and play these games with hundreds of other people in a chatroom.
In doing so, young boys “have access to older men who are obviously sitting down probably in a parent's basement, also gaming, and you can get into a very dangerous situation. That’s where most young boys find pornography for the first time. They're not searching for it, but it comes to find them in these online gaming platforms."
