As social media has proliferated across the globe, individuals have experienced an unprecedented increase in their ability to access information from around the world. The potential of social media to disseminate positive messages and raise awareness about pressing global issues is in stark contrast with the ways in which social media platforms have been utilized by state and non-state actors to advocate for violence, repress civil society, and recruit sympathizers internationally.

Applications such as Snapchat and Twitter have become powerful mediums for broadcasting events in real time to millions of users around the world. These platforms often complement traditional news sources available online, as they typically reach a younger, digitally oriented demographic. This week Snapchat posted a live video stream of the Battle of Mosul- the first time the app has featured a war zone in their ‘stories’ feed. The app, which has 1.65 billion users, (Bloomberg, 2016) is attempting to become a trustworthy news source by hiring journalists from CNN and encouraging politicians and experts to submit videos to the stream. Snapchat is just one example of a social media native blurring the boundary between entertainment and journalism; 62% of adults in the US consume news via social media, predominantly through Facebook and Twitter (Pew, 2016).

Increasingly, Governments are focusing on social media as a tool to combat radicalisation, and there is a growing awareness across law enforcements and legislatures that social media is a key recruitment asset for groups such as Al-Shabab and ISIS. The Islamic State has specifically taken advantage of hashtags on Twitter to spread their messages and recruit sympathisers across the world. Whilst Twitter is able to de-activate individual accounts, it does not have the functionality to suspend hashtags, which has now become IS’s preferred method of communication (Quilliam Foundation, 2015). Terrorist groups typically have an advanced understanding of social media and a well-developed recruitment strategy that relies on it heavily. Disseminating information via social media has cleverly been outsourced from prominent leaders within the group to committed supporters, or “nodes”, all over the world (Wired, 2016). These nodes are given direct access to a group member on the ground, affording them the privilege of first-hand information along with the promise of divine rewards for their recruiting efforts. Nodes are responsible for spreading messages to “amplifiers” who re-tweet messages, and “shout outs” who promote new accounts once old users have been suspended (The George Washington University, 2015). This intricate web of users not only toughens the job for law-enforcement bodies, but also allows the group to fully harness the power of social media in spreading information and gaining support in places it couldn’t have otherwise. According to the Quilliam Foundation 30,000 people have been motivated to join IS as a result of their online propaganda. Capitalizing on this reach, IS has blatantly promoted the use of violence by producing videos designed to shock and create fear, such as the beheading of American journalist James Foley.

Whilst terrorist organisations such as IS have successfully mastered the use of social media, so too can institutions and governments in order to spread messages of peace. For example, citizens are able to report war crimes that occur in places that are inaccessible for journalists and voices are given to the sufferers of violence who previously did not have one. According to The Pew Research Centre 59% of American Twitter users depend on the site for breaking news information, and Bloomberg has reported that Snapchat users watch approximately 8 billion videos every day. The potential for spreading positive messages on these apps is therefore enormous.

Current attempts to combat IS online have been largely unsuccessful due to the formality of the sources of information, such as government bodies, combined with the use of outdated techniques. For example the US State Department’s campaign “Think Again, Turn Away” has been ineffective in its aim of countering IS’s online presence. Instead, grass roots campaigns have seen more success on social media platforms, such as One Billion Rising’s movement against domestic violence. The group has utilised Twitter to coordinate annual events and spread awareness using the hashtags #rise4revolution and #1billionrising.

Authentic citizen stories have proven to be more effective than coordinated government efforts to spread messages of tolerance and understanding across and within communities internationally. The role of governments and institutions becomes important once traction has been gained in order to legitimise the message and allow citizens to have direct involvement in solutions without the need for violence. Greater cultural understanding also has the potential to minimise the causes of conflict before they begin. An attempt at cross-cultural understanding on social media has been seen with the recent campaign #profileforpeace in India and Pakistan, which involved changing Facebook profile pictures to show messages of solidarity.

Social media has proven to be a very effective way to inform and broadcast news, however it is important to ensure that war and conflict is not normalised by doing so. Snapchat stories such as the feed of the Battle of Mosul have the unique potential to reach millions of people who may not have an understanding of the events, making it paramount to also stress the need for peace over violence, as well as providing peaceful alternatives. This can be achieved through drawing attention to the victims of war, which the UN High Commissioner for refugees did by contributing to the Battle of Mosul feed. Social media must be used to reverse the effects of an “us versus them” mentality which has been created and disseminated by terrorist groups and has been damaging for wider religious and cultural communities.

Social media has undoubtedly made the world a smaller place by connecting communities and people across the globe, and has given individuals greater exposure to world events. However, terrorist organisations have also recognised and taken advantage of the broad reach of social media platforms, using them as recruitment tools and as a way to spread extremist views. In order to combat foreign fighters governments and institutions must be able to utilise social media in original and more proactive ways– something that has so far failed to be achieved. Grass roots campaigns have proven that social media can be utilised to emphasise our shared humanity and desire for peace and can have the potential to be a serious force for peace in years to come.