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A participatory process is a sequence of participatory activities (e.g. first filling out a survey, then making proposals, discussing them in face-to-face or virtual meetings, and finally prioritizing them) with the aim of defining and making a decision on a specific topic.
Examples of participatory processes are: a process of electing committee members (where candidatures are first presented, then debated and finally a candidacy is chosen), participatory budgets (where proposals are made, valued economically and voted on with the money available), a strategic planning process, the collaborative drafting of a regulation or norm, the design of an urban space or the production of a public policy plan.
R5: The rise of hate speech
Challenge 5
About this process
Initial version of the challenge
At the outset, the challenge is framed around concerns about rising polarisation, hate speech and the difficulty of maintaining respectful conversations in digital environments. It is perceived that social networks amplify conflicts, generate tension and make listening difficult.
The issue is framed primarily in terms of content and behaviour: people confronting each other, aggressive comments, ideological bubbles and an inability to engage in dialogue with those who think differently. The initial focus is on ‘how to avoid conflict’ or ‘how to reduce toxicity’.
Reformulation after collective work
As the analysis progresses, the challenge shifts towards a more structural understanding. Polarisation is no longer seen just as a problem of people or opinions, but is beginning to be understood as a consequence of digital infrastructures that amplify disagreement, reward extreme content and make nuance difficult.
The problem is no longer just that ‘people are arguing’, but that the platforms are designed to maximise interaction, often through conflict, making polarisation functional to the system. Algorithms, visibility dynamics and business models all contribute to reinforcing this logic.
Key aspects
From sporadic conflicts → to structural dynamics of polarisation
From ‘people argue too much’ → to platforms that amplify disagreement
From diversity of opinions → to closed ideological bubbles
From debate → to constant confrontation
From freedom of expression → to pressure to take a side
From individual content → to algorithms that prioritise the extreme and the viral
From personal responsibility → to designs that incentivise conflict
From digital participation → to progressive radicalisation
From talking with others → to talking against others
From digital coexistence → to social fragmentation
🤯 Dilemmas that we face
A young person joins a platform and, without really knowing why, begins to receive fewer opportunities, less visibility, or recommendations that push them toward spaces where they feel excluded, stereotyped, or treated unfairly. The problem isn’t just that the system makes mistakes, but that it does…
🎭 Scene 5.1 – “The invisible gap”
We're in a room in Barcelona, at a conference about the use of social media.Roberto, alone, sits in the back row, checking his phone:I look to the right: belly, I look to the left: bellyDid you know that 95% of robberies are committed by Romanians?This didn't happen under Franco, everything was sa…
🎭 Scene 5.2 – “An AI to control AIs”
A young person uses an AI platform or tool in their daily life. They search for information, participate in social media, try to access opportunities, or simply browse content. Little by little, they begin to notice that something isn’t quite right.They receive different responses. They see content …
Related processes
Reference: OS-PART-2026-04-151