Going /k/ommando: Gun Culture in Fringe Online Communities

Abstract

The increasing frequency of mass shootings in the United States has become alarmingly common, prompting discussions about gun control. While gun control in the US involves complex legal issues, cultural factors---particularly ``gun culture''---play a significant but often overlooked role. Although the role of social media in shaping culture is well-documented, the intersection of gun culture and fringe online communities, like 4chan, remains unclear. This gap is particularly concerning given the rise in mass shootings and the online radicalization of some shooters. To address this gap, we explore gun culture on /k/, 4chan's weapons board. More specifically, we employ various NLP techniques to analyze over 4M posts on /k/ and contextualize the discussion within the broader body of theoretical framework of gun culture. Our findings reveal that discussions on /k/ cover a wide array of topics, with a significant focus on law-related discussions---over 17% of gun-related conversations on /k/ revolve around legal matters. Additionally, our analysis uncovers the presence of extreme viewpoints surrounding firearms, often manifesting as gun fetishism. These insights can be valuable for a range of stakeholders including social media platform, in efforts to address content moderation and de-radicalization