Angela Nagle recently talked with Ezra Klein on his podcast, and that was one of the major points she made - how much of the alt-rights use of irony and satire draws in a lot of people who are then exposed to the larger ideology
I think it's (b).
In life we are exposed to a lot of bad ideologies, and the only thing that can help us navigate these ideas is our own thick skin and critical thinking tools and habits. The only way you develop these are through exposure and practice.