Description
Social media technology is having a dramatic impact on social and political dynamics around the world.
The contributors to this book document and illustrate this "techtonic" shift on violent conflict and democratic processes. They present vivid examples and case studies from countries in Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Latin America as well as Northern Ireland. Each author maps an array of peacebuilding solutions to social media threats, including coordinated action by civil society, governments and tech companies to protect human minds, relationships and institutions. Solutions presented include inoculating society with a new digital literacy agenda, designing technology for positive social impacts, and regulating technology to prohibit the worst behaviours.
A must-read both for political scientists and policymakers trying to understand the impact of social media, and media studies scholars looking for a global perspective.
Table of Contents
1. The Techtonic Shift: How Social Media Works (Lisa Schirch) 2. Digital Information, Conflict, and Democracy (Lisa Schirch) 3. Brazil: Weaponized Information and Digitized Hate (Diego Casaes and Yasodara Cordova) 4. Colombia: The Use of Social Media in Democratic Spaces: A Double-Edged Sword (Diana Dajer) 5. Egypt: Social Media Impacts on Civil Society, Violent Extremism & Government Control (Eman El-Sherbiny) 6. India: A False Information Ecosystem (Spandana Singh) 7. India-Pakistan: Civil Society Digital Activism for Peace (Qamar Jafri) 8. Jordan: Social Media and Social Change Opportunities and Threats (Diana Ishaqat) 9. Kenya: Social Media Literacy, Ethnicity and Peacebuilding (Fredrick Ogenga) 10. Myanmar: The Role of Social Media in Fomenting Violence (Victoire Rio) 11. Nigeria: Social Media Dynamics in Boko Haram’s Terrorist Insurgence (Medinat Abdulazeez Malefakis) 12. Northern Ireland: Social Media and Conflict Dynamics on the Peace Lines (Brendan McCourt) 13. Sri Lanka: Digital Blooms in Social Media and Violence (Sanjana Hattotuwa) 14. Venezuela: 21st Century Authoritarianism in the Digital Sphere (Iria Puyosa) 15. Zimbabwe: Social Media as a Toxic Tool or a Future Bridge to Peace (Tendai Marima) 16. A Peacebuilding Approach to Addressing Social Media Threats (Lisa Schirch)
