Newburyport Public Library

War in 140 characters, how social media is reshaping conflict in the twenty-first century, David Patrikarakos

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 269-283) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

War in 140 characters

bibliography

975485831

David Patrikarakos

how social media is reshaping conflict in the twenty-first century

"War in 140 Characters examines the role of social media and other forms of 'new media' in changing the face of modern warfare. War is, more than ever, a clash of narratives--with each state/party fighting to control the spread of information and project their narrative to the outside world. Social media has shattered traditional hierarchies between the state and its citizens, enabling the individual or networks of individuals to influence the direction of conflict to a degree previously thought impossible. State militaries now employ official Social Media warriors to influence the narrative online; in Russia, paid trolls flood the internet with pro-Russian tweets, blog posts, and comments in order to create the sense of "authentic" support for the annexation of Crimea. Even private civilians can single-handedly alter the course of war. New media has expanded the arena of conflict into the virtual world, which is every bit as real and often more important than the fighting on the ground. Whether you are a president or a terrorist, if you don't understand how to deploy the power of media effectively you may win the odd battle but you will lose a twenty-first century war. War in 140 Characters provides a new narrative for modern warfare, exploring the way social media has transformed the way that we fight, win, and consume wars, and what that means for the world going forward."--Provided by publisher

The citizen journalist : stories versus guns -- The soldier : the state flounders, homo digitalis emerges -- The officer : militia digitalis takes to the "battlefield" -- The Facebook warrior 1 : the virtual state -- The Facebook warrior 2 : homo digitalis on the battlefield -- The troll : the empire strikes back -- The post-modern dictator: adventures in unreality -- The interpreter 1 : from the bedroom to the battlefield -- The interpreter 2 : man versus superpower -- The recruit : friends are close but enemies are closer -- The counterterrorist : Goliath versus a thousand slingshots -- Conclusion

How social media is reshaping conflict in the twenty-first century