Public lecture examines extremism on social media and gaming platforms

The lecture “Between Memes and Trends: How TikTok, Instagram and Gaming Are Being Undermined by Extremism” begins at 5.30 pm in Audimax 1. Admission is free. No registration is required.

About the lecture

Digital media such as TikTok, Instagram and gaming platforms are key hubs for entertainment and social interaction. Yet they have also become breeding grounds for extremist ideologies. Far-right and other anti-democratic groups deliberately exploit these spaces to recruit people for their hateful messages. The lecture analyses the specific tactics of this infiltration: from the subtle dissemination of propaganda through pop-cultural references and memes on TikTok and Instagram to the normalisation of hate in in-game voice chats or through racist ‘mods’ in games. It will demonstrate how these methods work and what preventive measures we as a society – ranging from media literacy to digital education – must take to counter them.

The lecture is organised in collaboration with and with the kind support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) Brandenburg. Further information on the FES’s Brandenburg regional office can be found here.

Moderator:

Dr Matthias Guttke, Director of the Lower Sorbian Gymnasium Cottbus
Thomas Hasenauer, BTU, Centre for Continuing Education

Date: Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 5.30 pm to 7 pm
Venue: Audimax 1 on the BTU main campus, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 3, 03046 Cottbus

About the speaker

Matthias Heider is a media scholar who studied at the KONRAD WOLF Film University Babelsberg in Potsdam, amongst other institutions. There, his research focused on, amongst other things, far-right communication and framing on social media platforms. As part of his work as a project manager, he implemented the educational project “Games machen Schule” for the Digital Game Culture Foundation, which focuses on the use of digital games in school lessons. As an educational video expert at TU Berlin, he supported lecturers in the use and creation of video content for university teaching, as well as in the application of AI tools in higher education pedagogy and research. Since July 2023, he has been a research staff member on the RadiGaMe project at the Institute for Democracy and Civil Society in Jena. He is deputy head of the Digital Conflict Research division.

About the Open BTU lecture series

From 15 April to 17 June 2026, the public lecture series Open BTU offers insights into fascinating fields of knowledge. During the summer semester, the following topics will be explored from various perspectives:

• Democracy – Retrospectives, the Present and Future Prospects
• Prefabricated housing and heritage conservation – Two architectural perspectives on the GDR
• The Garden – A Natural Reflection of Society on Our Green Spaces 

With this educational format, open to all interested parties, the University’s Centre for Continuing Education supports lifelong learning and funds the transfer of knowledge and ideas in the region by addressing socially relevant issues. In doing so, the BTU cooperates with other universities and institutions. After each lecture, there will be an opportunity for questions and discussion with the speakers. Interested parties are warmly invited to take part in the wide-ranging programme of events.

More about the Open BTU public lecture series:

https://www.b-tu.de/weiterbildung/offene-hochschule/open-btu