The Role of Media Exposure in Youth Radicalization: A Multilevel Meta-Analysis

This preprint corresponds to an article that has now been published in a peer-reviewed journal and is available as open access. Please refer to and cite the final published version: den Elzen, J. I., Asscher, J. J., Lang, K. M., & Duindam, H. M. (2026). The association between media exposure and violent radicalization of young people: A multilevel meta-analysis. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 88, 102141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2026.102141Youth radicalization poses considerable risks to society, with notable concerns about the role that media exposure might play in this process. Despite adolescents’ susceptibility to radicalization and their frequent online media use, previous reviews on media and radicalization have focused mostly on adults. To increase understanding of the association between media use and radicalization in youth (< 26 years old), a multilevel meta-analysis was conducted. In total, 26 studies were included, reporting on 25 independent samples (N = 49,552) yielding 141 effect sizes. A small overall effect of r = 0.13, indicated that media exposure is positively associated with radicalization in youth. The effect was stronger for vignettes/behavioral assessment methods of media exposure, online media exposure, and exposure to extremist content. These findings highlight the relevance of media exposure as a possible facilitator of radicalization processes in youth.