Final answer:
The trend responsible for empowering extremists and facilitating cyberbullying is social media, as it allows for rapid and wide-reaching communication, often fostering digital tribalism and enabling the spread of misinformation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The trend responsible for the increased ability of extremists to spread their views and the rise of cyberbullying is social media. The pervasive nature of social media allows for rapid dissemination of extremist views and provides platforms for cyberbullying to occur. With the globalization of information through technological advancements, individuals and groups can easily create digital tribes, fostering an environment of digital tribalism. This enables a stronger sense of belonging to a group that shares similar beliefs, sometimes at the cost of increased polarization and spreading of misinformation. Lawmakers are recognizing the need for social media platforms to take responsibility in curbing the spread of hate speech and disinformation to protect democracy and individual safety.