Social Media as a Tool for Irregular Warfare

Abstract

Hybrid is a buzzword used lately in academia. Social media and new media technologies have brought the term into the focus of media studies. Many individuals and groups today have used social media as a tool for hybrid warfare. Because of the fake and manipulative content found in social media accounts, more fights have ensued among different groups in society. Some groups, such as ISIS, have also used the platform for organizing terrorist activities. The current research aims to evaluate social media as a tool for irregular warfare. It is generally because of the use of recent online media to trigger war and provide strategic advantages to different people in society. Therefore, there is a need to address the problems related to using social media as a source of irregular warfare since any individual or organization can use this open platform. The study uses a wide range of literature from different academic articles. The proposed method is to apply mixed research to elaborate on the topic. The study selected participants by using purposive and stratified random sampling to provide conclusive findings. It considered 50 participants who provided sufficient information to support the research. The data collection instruments used were surveys, which were divided into various parts. The qualitative data was summarized and then further organized according to particular themes. It was later analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The study found that most organizations and terrorist groups have used social media as a tool for irregular warfare in society by manipulating other people and creating their influence.