The Platformization of Violence: Toward a Concept of Discursive Toxicity on Social Media

Abstract

Discourse has long been recognized as a source of symbolic violence, perpetuating power relations and reinforcing existing social hierarchies. With the rise of social media platforms, the influence of discourse on society has gained renewed attention. These platforms, while enabling social interactions, also serve as catalysts for violent behaviors, reinforcing and legitimizing forms of oppression and symbolic violence, particularly the violence of language. While the concept of toxicity is frequently used to describe this phenomenon, its meaning and connection to language often remain unexplored. This article aims to address this gap by examining the significance of toxicity in discourse and how the infrastructure of social media platforms facilitates the emergence of toxic discourses. It argues that while toxicity and violence are related, they are distinct phenomena. Toxicity, as a dimension of symbolic violence, contaminates debates and discourses, and is enabled by the characteristics of platformization in online interactions. Thus, toxicity is an effect of platforms mediating social interactions.