Social Media

Practically, every area of our everyday lives has been greatly impacted by social media. For better or worse, the ability to swiftly produce and distribute information anywhere in the world has altered how we communicate. Given that conflicts are now live-streamed long before reporters or analysts could reach the combat zone, it should come as no surprise that it has also changed the modern battlefield.

Through virtual communities and networks, social media enable the creation and exchange of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression. Social media are interactive technologies that are also a subset of media.

While it's too soon to say whether social media may have a significant impact on how wars turn out, a few conflicts, like the Arab Spring or even the ongoing war in Ukraine, show that it will play a significant part in future conflicts. There's also a potential that social media as a whole could someday be used as a weapon of war, as ISIS did during its worldwide recruitment campaigns that were conducted primarily on Twitter.