What moves adolescents to support the call for altercations that have no acronyms or complaints? Experts consulted by 20minutos warn of anonymous profiles on social networks that drag these young people who see an "uncertain" future for them and believe that this may be their way of channeling general unrest. "They are like human drones," says Manuel Armayones, professor in Behavioral Design at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), who points to algorithms as the cause of this situation.
The impact of social networks on these riots—beyond the fact that it is where the calls arise—is key, since, as has been seen in the protests in France, young people use the echo of these platforms and upload videos to demonstrate that they were in the altercations and even participated. It's FOMO, the fear of missing out on experiences and being left out. Many of these kids also appeal to video games from the GTA series such as GTA VI has arrived in Barcelona or The 4 stars of GTA have arrived, in which participants face police officers in action scenes.
But for Armayones, "consuming violent scenes does not make them violent," but it does help them not feel "shocked" by scenes of burning containers, for example. "Many kids enter this spiral," he says.
"Young people have become accustomed to living in a virtual world, but they know perfectly well what it is and use these references as a metaphor," explains José Mansilla, professor of Anthropology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), in statements to 20minutos. However, he assures that "they do not forget that it is the real world" and they are "aware" that they are not in a video game, but they are unaware of the criminal scope of looting a store or attacking a police officer. Although they know that disobeying means punishment at home or at school, they cannot imagine the high costs of committing crimes.
Despite the consequences, they may want to earn a "status" among their friends, in the same way that there are adults who upload photos of their paradise vacations to social networks to position themselves above their neighbors, Mansilla points out: "Their parents may not understand it, but it gives them points among their people."
Gain presence on networks and in your social environment
Armayones agrees with Mansilla in the "notoriety and social support" in sharing images of the riots, although he maintains that "there may also be an ideological element of wanting to fight against the system." However, he points out that in Barcelona young people have sought to obtain "immediate gratification": "It is an easy and effortless way to be a hero and get those sneakers that they like the most. They weren't going to steal food, they were going to expensive stores."
Many of Anna's students, a teacher at a high school in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, went to the Blocus rally on Saturday, motivated by the possibility of witnessing riots, simple curiosity or group pressure. They explained it to her on Monday and Anna discussed throughout the week the dangers and consequences of participating in events in which it is not clear who is organizing or who benefits. She says that her students listened to her, understand and share her arguments, although she fears that this Saturday they will respond to the call again.
Along these lines, Armayones focuses on the fact that many of them want to "be part of their culture" which is why they repeat what they have seen in France and on social networks: "It is the effect of seeing what other people do."
The network expert also asks for collaboration between administrations, that parents "know what their children are doing", and in this sense he proposes a "multiperspective" approach to the content they consume and how network algorithms lead them to want to join in these acts. "There is someone expanding the algorithms so that they reach more people and Silicon Valley is not concerned" and predicts that if no action is taken, "the situation is going to get worse."
Both Mansilla and Armayones believe that the weight of social networks and how it places them in the social environment is key: appearing at school with the latest fashionable sneakers. Although those detained by the riots in Barcelona - 19 years old on average - do not follow a single social pattern, the anthropologist affirms that those who come from less economically favored families can allow themselves to be dragged along because "they don't see a future." Although there are no political motivations behind the concentrations, Mansilla appreciates that "they are not attacking a CAP or a school, but rather stores that they cannot access."
First arrests linked to Blocus
While uncertainty grows about what may happen in the next few hours and whether a level of violence similar to last week will be reached, the police forces have already begun to arrest the first instigators of these altercations. The National Police arrested a 17-year-old minor this Thursday in Valencia for promoting looting and acts of looting in commercial establishments in the city.
Hours later it was the Mossos d'Esquadra who took a 16-year-old boy in Bellmunt d'Urgell from his home in handcuffs for instigating looting this Saturday in Lleida. This Friday, the Catalan police arrested another 17-year-old minor linked to the Blocus channels used to coordinate last Saturday's looting in Barcelona. After the arrests, the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, warned on social networks that "there will be no impunity for acts of violence" and vandalism.
Since it emerged that the riots had been called through anonymous TikTok profiles and messaging channels such as Telegram or WhatsApp, the Government has shown a firm commitment to finding who is behind it and blocking the channels. On the one hand, by contacting the platforms directly, which the Mossos d'Esquadra explain that they have always been "collaborative", and also by turning to the Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Center to close these profiles more quickly.
In recent days, for example, two of these groups that encouraged looting of businesses during Halloween night and that had more than 2,000 followers each have already been closed. "Don't you want to return home with Rolex, iPhones, Gucci, LV, Hermès?" asked the administrator of Blocus BCN-2 shortly before the group was closed. There were 2,594 members on this channel and its profile was an illustration created by artificial intelligence of the Sagrada Família crowned by two doves of peace and a concentration of young people with Catalan flags.
Blocus also influences without incidents
The influence of Blocus was felt on Thursday in Vic without the need for riots. While a hundred students peacefully participated in a Força Antifeixista Catalana (FAC) demonstration to demand improvements in education, housing and working conditions, false calls circulated on social networks, with the aesthetics of Blocus, calling to loot businesses. The Mossos d'Esquadra deployed a large device, carried out controls and encapsulated the protest. According to the organizers, the dissemination of these messages reduced attendance, since they expected to gather more than a thousand young people, but barely a hundred attended.
The threats spread on the Internet also disrupted the city's commercial activity. Large chains protected their windows with wooden panels and other establishments closed their shutters, while those that remained open were prepared to do so if incidents occurred. The presence of riot units and security patrols of the Catalan police modified the usual image of the center of Vic and demonstrated the capacity of these anonymous calls to disrupt daily life without physical mobilization.
