Families, beware: These are just the tip of the iceberg.

The brutal murder of two young women by 19-year-old Semih Çelik in Fatih has introduced us to a perverse and violent movement known as "incel." Following the horrific incident, an examination of Semih Çelik's mobile phone revealed that he was in contact with individuals referred to as "incels" in a group on a messaging application. The information coming in about this movement, which is rapidly spreading on platforms like the Dark Web, Discord, and Reddit, is terrifying. It has become evident that the number of users on these platforms is much higher than previously estimated, and a wide range of crimes, from deviant ideologies to pedophilia, are rampant.

"FAMILIES BEWARE, THIS IS THE VISIBLE FACE OF THE ICEBERG"

Prof. Dr. Levent Eraslan, President of the Social Media and Digital Security Education Research Center (SODİMER), who warns about the platforms where incel violence is rampant, provided insights on the harms of these applications and offered suggestions for digital security for parents. In statements to Haberler.com regarding the horrifying events that have shaken Turkey's agenda recently, Eraslan noted that incel communities are quite active on social media platforms in Turkey as well. There are announcements on forum pages like, "Are you ugly? Have you reached your 20s or 30s and still haven't been able to establish a proper relationship with a girl? Then this is the place for you." With a simple search I conducted on X, I found groups opened under the title Turkİnceller, chat rooms established, and praises directed towards 19-year-old Semih Çelik, who brutally murdered Ayşenur Halil and İkbal Uzuner, along with calls for "revenge." There are those who write that if they cannot take what is "the right of women," there must be a way to take it by force, as well as those who openly encourage murder and rape. Of course, this is just the visible face of the iceberg," he stated.

WHAT IS INCEL?

Eraslan explained the unknowns about incel violence as follows: "Incel," which is an abbreviation of "involuntary celibacy," refers to individuals who harbor animosity towards women and the society they live in, and who are prone to violence. Some have acted on their hatred of women. In 2014, a 22-year-old named Elliot Rodger in California, USA, filmed a video stating that he was a virgin, had never kissed a woman, and declared war on women, after which he killed six women he had never met before committing suicide. In 2018, 25-year-old Alek Minassian, who praised the incel movement and made misogynistic posts on social media, drove a rented van into a crowd, killing 10 people. In 2020, a 17-year-old assailant in Toronto, Canada, killed a 24-year-old woman he was obsessed with using an axe. The similarity in the methods of these murders seems to be more than coincidental. In a summary of a booklet prepared by experts about incels for the European Union, it states: "Because the thought of taking someone else with them is dominant, these individuals resort to suicide attempts and individual/mass attack actions."

Eraslan continued with some suggestions for parents regarding digital security:

Monitor Your Children's Online Activities: Keep a close eye on the websites your children visit and the social media platforms they use. Knowing who they are communicating with helps them develop safe online habits.

Establish Open and Supportive Communication: Inform your children about the dangers they may encounter online. Allow them to ask questions and report any uncomfortable situations to you.

Utilize Security Settings: Parental controls and security settings can help ensure your children navigate the internet safely. You can make their online experiences safer by filtering out potentially harmful content.

Report Suspicious Situations: If you encounter content on social media that threatens your children or promotes violence, be sure to report it to the relevant platform. Additionally, contact authorities in case of a serious threat.

These suggestions can help keep your children safe in the digital environment. As a parent, it is crucial to be aware of online risks in advance and to educate your children about these issues.