"Once a narrative like this gains momentum, it can change how people feel about the city, whether tourists want to visit, how people may behave in public spaces, and even how they vote."
"This isn't about whether London is safe or unsafe. It's about how online narratives form, spread, and shape public perception. I think often people see issues about online discourse as distinct from the real world', but in many ways they're the same thing now."
Social media posts promoting the narrative that London is dangerous have surged in the past year despite reductions in violent crime. The posts increasingly appear on Reddit, Nextdoor.com and Instagram, with many originating from new accounts using apparently AI-generated profile pictures and exclusively posting this content. Reddit posts promoting the narrative rose from 874 in 2008 to 258,444 in 2024, a growth faster than overall Reddit posting. Other UK cities do not show the same pattern, indicating a London-specific phenomenon. High-profile crimes and 93 murders in the 12 months to October 2025 may have reinforced perceptions, even as violent crime fell across all 32 boroughs and NHS hospital admissions for stab wounds declined.
Read at www.standard.co.uk
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