Three Years of SMIDGE: Brussels Conference Examines Online Extremism Among Middle-Aged Adults

Brussels, 29 January 2026  On 29 January 2026, following three impactful years of research and collaboration of the SMIDGE project, policymakers, researchers, journalists and civil society representatives gathered in Brussels for the SMIDGE International Conference, “The Invisible Middle: Understanding Online Extremism in Middle-Aged Adults in Europe,” hosted by Inclusive Europe.

Participants examined how disinformation, polarisation and extremist narratives circulate among middle-aged adults, and why this group plays a central role in today’s online information ecosystem.

While much research and prevention work has traditionally focused on young people, speakers stressed that middle-aged adults are key actors online,  as voters, professionals, parents and community members, shaping public discourse and amplifying narratives across platforms.

Keynote Speech by Dr. Sara Wilford

The conference opened with a keynote address by Dr Sara Wilford, Associate Professor at De Montfort University and scientific coordinator of the SMIDGE project, who described middle-aged adults as the “sandwich generation.”

Caught between work pressures, caring responsibilities and rapid social and technological change, this group can experience feelings of being undervalued and a nostalgia for perceived past stability. According to Dr. Wilford, these factors can increase susceptibility to emotionally charged online narratives. While everyone is exposed to disinformation, she noted that social media platforms, unlike legacy media, are not bound by the same accuracy standards, creating an environment where outrage-driven and misleading content can thrive.

Panel I: Presentation of SMIDGE Findings

The first panel presented core findings from the SMIDGE project, drawing on surveys, interviews and focus groups conducted across Europe.

Line Nybro Petersen (University of Copenhagen) explored how online extremism is shaped by “hybridisation” - not only of ideologies, but also of aesthetics, technologies and participatory practices. She outlined four forms of hybridity: fragmented ideological content, technological hybridity, aesthetic hybridity and the hybridity of digital practices. Her research identified so-called “HYPE spaces” as key environments where influential actors, collaborative storytelling and ambiguous, ironic content interact to drive engagement and spread narratives.

Findings presented by Kalypso Iordanou and Vasiliki Christodoulou (UCLan Cyprus) showed a clear correlation between time spent on social media and reduced ability among middle-aged adults to distinguish disinformation from accurate information. The findings also show that when it comes to immigration-related issues, people demonstrate even lower levels of misinformation discernment.

Christian Gulas (FAS Research) introduced the concept of a “surplus of meaning,” describing how an overabundance of competing narratives fuels digital polarisation. Emotionally charged content, especially when framed as violations of core moral values, spreads more widely online and reinforces divisions by activating specific emotional responses.

The panel also included a presentation by Fabrizio Boldrini of the SMIDGE MOOC platform, which offers free online courses on digital literacy, journalism ethics, cognitive biases and media ecosystems, designed to equip journalists with practical tools for responsible reporting.

Panel II: Media and Cultural Perspectives on Online Extremism

Panel II shifted the focus to media, storytelling and cultural production. Opening the session, Professor Jason Lee (De Montfort University) framed media narratives as both a risk and a resource in shaping how online extremism is understood, reinforced or challenged.

This was followed by a screening of the Smidge Documentary produced through a collaboration between Hamlett Films and De Montfort University. Sian Hamlett and Mitchell Harris joined the discussion, reflecting on how research, creative practice and dialogue can intersect to challenge harmful narratives and deepen public understanding.

Panel III: Common Challenges and Best Practices

The third panel brought together representatives of EU-funded projects to exchange lessons learned and practical approaches to prevention.

Sandra Obradović and Joana Ricarte presented the work of the OppAttune project, which focuses on “everyday extremism”- the normalisation of harmful narratives in daily digital spaces. Rather than concentrating on who becomes extremist, OppAttune examines the social and digital conditions that enable such ideas to spread. The speakers highlighted growing pressures on key democratic pillars, including elections and independent media, and advocated a shift from a purely formal understanding of democracy toward a “living democracy.” The project has developed tools and measurement scales to track normalisation and strengthen democratic skills.

Louise Burté introduced findings from the ARENAS project, which analyses how extremist narratives circulate and develops remediation strategies for young audiences. Workshops implemented in schools across several European countries have shown measurable improvements in students’ ethical awareness, empathy and critical thinking, with a dedicated platform for high school students currently under development.

Seyma Celem presented the ENCODE project, which explores how emotions drive political beliefs, decision-making and public discourse. Using tools such as sentiment analysis, cross-country research and citizen innovation labs, ENCODE aims to foster more inclusive emotional narratives and reduce polarisation, contributing to stronger democratic engagement.

Panel IV: From Evidence to Action

The final panel focused on translating research findings into policy and practice. Anna De Marchi (DG CONNECT) outlined the European Commission’s efforts to strengthen platform accountability under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Very large platforms are required to assess and mitigate systemic risks such as disinformation and polarisation, with the Commission empowered to open investigations where compliance falls short. These efforts are linked to broader initiatives including the European Democracy Shield.

From a communications perspective, Becky Slack (Agenda) emphasised that fact-checking alone often has limited impact in emotionally charged environments. She highlighted complementary strategies such as pre-bunking, reframing, trust-building language and working with credible non-political messengers. Offline conditions also matter, she noted, as online extremism often flourishes where local journalism is weak and community ties are fragile.

Juliane von Reppert-Bismarck (Lie Detectors) stressed the importance of addressing both the demand and supply sides of disinformation through scalable media literacy initiatives, particularly by supporting teachers as key multipliers of critical thinking skills.

Saman Nazari (Alliance4Europe) presented a shift from monitoring influence operations to actively disrupting them. Through its Counter Disinformation Network, Alliance4Europe connects journalists, researchers and practitioners across Europe to detect, analyse and counter coordinated information manipulation.

Conclusion

The conference underscored that middle-aged adults are central participants in contemporary information ecosystems - as consumers, sharers, professionals and community members. Across research, media and policy discussions, participants examined how online extremism, polarisation and misinformation intersect with the digital practices of this often-overlooked demographic, and why it deserves greater visibility in both research and response strategies.

By bringing together empirical research, media practice and EU policy perspectives, The Invisible Middle conference marked an important step toward more targeted and evidence-based responses to online extremism in Europe.