Addressing extremism in middle age

Open to a diverse group, including members of the UK Parliament & representatives of UK & EU institutions, policymakers & practitioners

Across Europe, online extremism, disinformation, conspiracy theories and polarising narratives increasingly shape public debate and democratic participation. While significant attention has been devoted to youth radicalisation and to highly visible extremist actors, far less focus has been placed on middle-aged adults - a demographic group that plays a crucial role as voters, parents, professionals, community anchors and informal information gatekeepers within families and social networks.

Recent research shows that middle-aged adults are frequently exposed to sophisticated online narratives that exploit social, political and economic anxieties, often through mainstream digital platforms, alternative media ecosystems and hybrid online spaces. Despite their influence on political attitudes, voting behaviour, and the intergenerational transmission of beliefs, this group remains largely absent from policy discussions, prevention strategies, and digital governance frameworks.

This event “TBC” responds to this gap by bringing together researchers, policymakers, civil society actors, media professionals, security experts and media representatives to examine how extremist narratives reach middle-aged adults, how they are interpreted and shared, and how evidence-based policy responses can be strengthened. The event is organised as the final event of the Horizon Europe-funded SMIDGE project (Social Media Narratives: Addressing Extremism in Middle Age), which examines online extremism among middle-aged adults across several European countries through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and qualitative analysis of digital spaces. The project translates its research findings into educational outputs, policy briefs, and counter-narrative materials to strengthen democratic resilience in the digital sphere.

The event is addressed to a diverse group of participants, including members of the UK Parliament and representatives of UK and EU institutions, policymakers and practitioners working on extremism prevention, digital policy and cybersecurity, as well as researchers and academics. It also targets civil society organisations and NGOs, journalists, media professionals, and fact-checkers, as well as digital platforms and technology stakeholders.

About the SMIDGE Project

SMIDGE (Social Media Narratives: Addressing Extremism in Middle-Age) is a Horizon Europe–funded research project examining how online extremist narratives, misinformation and polarisation affect democratic engagement among middle-aged adults. Through interdisciplinary research and cross-country analysis, SMIDGE aims to generate evidence-based insights and practical tools to support policymakers, educators, civil society and digital platforms in strengthening democratic resilience across Europe.