A tearful mother took to TikTok to share why she shut off her home internet in the wake of the death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
The woman, who uses "spicyrizz81—master of disaster" as her TikTok identity, shared she feared for her son after finding out he knew about alt-right memes and messaging from Christian nationalist and White supremacist groups like the "Groypers."
The Groypers—also called the Groyper Army—are a group of alt-right, White nationalist, and Christian nationalists, (mostly young males) led by Nick Fuentes.
Fuentes is a Holocaust denier who self-identifies as a Christian nationalist and supporter of authoritarianism in the United States. He's been described as a White supremacist, misogynistic, homophobic, antisemitic, Islamophobic, xenophobic neo-Nazi.
She shared that while prior to Kirk's shooting she was unfamiliar with the term groyper and Pepe the Frog, her son wasn’t.
The mom stated:
"Did my son understand the memes? Did he know what the black pill was? Yeah. I never heard those things before. I didn’t know what they meant."
"But my son did. My son understood. Internet is cut off in my home. We’re done."
You can watch her message here:
The post garnered over 3,000 comments filled with acknowledgement that parents need to know what their children are seeing online. Many stated the internet can be a frightening place.
Listening to the people most children spend time with five days a week—teachers—would be a good start.
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Others shared advice or their own experiences and fears.
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And many suggested every parent watch the 2025 British limited series Adolescence.
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The crime drama, set in northern England, deals with parents blindsided by their 13-year-old son's arrest on suspicion of murdering a female classmate. The common themes show the radicalization of boys isn't limited to the United States.
Some suggested going further back and watching the 1998 movie American History X with their teens.
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The critically acclaimed and award-winning film deals with the change of heart of a former neo-Nazi skinhead just released from prison and his adolescent brother.
One overarching theme in the comments was the need for parental oversight on their child's activities online and open communication about difficult topics.
But in a series of follow-up videos, the mom clarified her son is 22, not 12.
She’s been trying to get help for her adult son who moved back home over a year ago. She first noticed his incel behavior and language when he was 18, but hadn't known the root cause.
She shared:
"I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. I’m just more pissed off at the algorithm-based manipulation that was directed towards my child."
"I’m pissed that he’s been taken advantage of. I’m pissed about that. I’m not mad at him. I’m mad at the algorithm."
She added, addressing some of the commenters:
"The internet is concerned about his lack of access to the internet and what that might do to him, how it might stunt him."
"And I’m concerned about his social and emotional well-being and how he functions in society in a healthy way. I’m concerned about all of society and my son."
Knowing this mom is trying to "deprogram" a young man and is not just now learning about the influences on a young teen makes a big difference in the context of her decision.
And she makes an interesting point about how social media algorithms can target boys and men and be used to radicalize them.
It's certainly something for parents, and society as a whole, to think about.
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