Anti-Tech Violent Extremism: Examining the Association Between Technological Fear and Support for Political Violence

This study examines whether technological fear is associated with greater support for political violence in the U.S. and contributes to emerging research on anti-tech violent extremism by examining technological fear as a potential psychological antecedent. Using nationally representative survey data and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models, findings show that technological fear is a significant and robust correlate of support for political violence. Across models, older age, higher education, and higher income are associated with lower levels of support, while Black Non-Hispanic respondents report higher levels compared with White Non-Hispanic respondents. Media effects vary by platform. Traditional news consumption is not significantly associated with support for political violence, whereas reliance on social media for news is positively related to support. In the full model, technological fear remains significant, with each one-unit increase associated with an estimated 0.18-point increase in the political violence support index. These findings suggest that technology-related anxieties represent an important factor in understanding contemporary political attitudes and emerging conceptualizations of anti-tech violent extremism.