Keeping the above-mentioned scope and dynamics of social media in mind, the paper argues that it is becoming important for strategists and policymakers to study in detail the military aspect of social media and its implications for the security of the state. [...] During the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm, and until the Second Gulf War, printed newspapers, pamphlets, and radio broadcasts were the tools of PsyOps.11 However, in the digital age, the capability of PsyOps increased manifold due to the emergence of social media.12 According to the US DoD: PsyOps are planned operations to convey selected truthful information and indicators to foreign audi. [...] Social media then serves as a channel to further disseminate IOs and PsyOps into the minds and alter the behaviour of the target audience.17 The financial model of social media is profit-driven; it, therefore, serves the business interests of social media service providers to provide links of people and communities to the highest bidder18 for propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation. [...] For instance, who is the author of the article? Does he or she have any other publications? Or is there a bio-line of the author? It is also important to read the ‘About Us’ section of the website which usually mentions the publisher’s mission statement and the nature of its publication. [...] The vast network of social media has broadened the sources of false news and misinformation and assisted the spread of propaganda, altering narratives and veiling the truth.
- Pages
- 24
- Published in
- Pakistan
