This dynamic presentation documents the mushrooming of digital Hinduphobia. The authors— part of the Network Research Contagion Institute (NCRI)-- document the alarming increase in the use of anti-Hindu disinformation online through the use of targeted memes, hashtags, and images. Tellingly, through use of machine learning, NCRI Labs is able to show the continuity of these Hinduphobic tropes from the literature on India during the British Raj to present-day online discourse. The study underlines the concern that such digital bigotry often presages violence; to make this point, the presentation also includes a prologue from former NJ Attorney General John Farmer, who himself spearheaded efforts to combat the “Dotbusters,” a violent anti-Hindu gang in the state.

The other presenters are Prasiddha Sudhakar and Dr. Joel Finkelstein. Prasiddha Sudhakar is a senior at Rutgers University New Brunswick, studying Computer Science, Economics and Critical Intelligence Studies. She is the External President of Rutgers HSC and is also the President of HSC’s Collegiate Leadership Board. Currently, Prasiddha is a research analyst at the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) using data science and machine learning tools to track the spread of disinformation.

Dr. Joel Finkelstein is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Madison Program for Ideas and Institutions at Princeton University and the director of the Network Contagion Research Institute, which deploys machine learning tools to expose the growing tide of hate and extremism on social media. A former research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism Joel is a graduate of Princeton University, where his award winning, doctoral work focused on the Psychology and Neuroscience of addiction and social behavior. Joel speaks to media, policy makers, advocacy groups and investigators to help turn tools for social science into tools for social justice. His work on hate in social media has appeared on the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, NPR and other media outlets.

This presentation was part of the Understanding Hinduphobia Conference 2022, jointly organized by Hindu Students Council, HSC at Boston University, and the Understanding Hinduphobia initiative.

To learn more about the Understanding Hinduphobia initiative, and to access resources or get in touch with the Understanding Hinduphobia co-directors, please visit www.UnderstandingHinduphobia.org. To donate, visit: [ Ссылка ].

To learn more about, get involved with, and support Hindu Students Council, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing and providing a space for Hindu dharma on North American college and high school campuses, please visit www.HinduStudentsCouncil.org. To support our work, please donate: [ Ссылка ]

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