Abstract

David Patrikarakos It is now clear to scholars, policymakers and practitioners alike that the digital rev- olution has greatly influenced conflict in the twenty-first century, and that social media stands at the centre of this revolution. For the purposes of this essay I use Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haelein’s definition of social media as ‘a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foun- dations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content’. Social media has changed war irretrievably; platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have become the latest battlegrounds in conflict. Whether you are a president, a soldier or a terrorist, the power of social media can no longer be ignored. You may still win the odd battle if you don’t understand how to effectively deploy social media, but you will lose a twenty-first-century war, or at least a major part of it. This essay will primarily examine the overarching effects that social media has had on conflict as a whole, and make concise reference to three case studies: Israel’s 2014 Operation Protective Edge against Hamas in Gaza; the conflict between Russia and Ukraine that continues to this day; and