SOCIAL MEDIA
A STUDY OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS
IMPACT ON CONTEMPORARY WARS /CONFLICTS
 |
SOCIAL MEDIA
A STUDY OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS IMPACT ON CONTEMPORARY WARS /CONFLICTS
ISBN-9789385991851
Rs/-699
|
Sun Tzu, the Chinese military strategist, cautions that one
must know ourselves, our enemy and our battlespace. Social Media delivers on
all three. The Internet has become a new battlefield in ways that blur the line
between war and peace.
Social media today is an quintessential part of our life. It
is rapidly growing in popularity and proliferating at an alarming pace. Social
media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and WhatsApp have grown into
very powerful tools with tremendous impact on daily life and routine. These
platforms have the power to influence minds and shape perceptions. Governments
and armies around the world are exploring possibilities of adopting it as a
strategic weapon. Social media platforms are finding use as tools of
Information Operations, Perception Management, Psychological Operations, and
Cyber Warfare. It acts as a potent conduit for open source intelligence. Social
Media is also emerging as an enabler in "Asymmetric warfare" through
the exploitation of people's aspirations, differential development, religious
beliefs, and cultural leanings. It has very high penetration levels and a large
number of people are connected through sharing experiences, pictures,
documents, and media.
Social media is deeply influencing the method of war
fighting. It can influence the hearts and minds of a very large audience and
may be termed as a weapon of mass instruction and disruption that can have
tangible benefits for military planners. The cyber domain threatens regional
and national security in ways that are uncommon in the other traditional
domains of land, sea, air, and space. Within the traditional domains, these
types of actions are relatively recognizable and easier to classify as acts of
war, but in cyberspace the underlying intent and attribution of a cyber attack
are difficult to discern. Successful social media operations may act as a
powerful force multiplier for both conventional and cyber capabilities.
This book is an attempt to highlight the many facets of
social media and its impact on contemporary wars/conflicts.
Lt Gen SRR Aiyengar, was commissioned in the Corps of
Signals, Indian Army on 11 June 1961.Graduated from, National Defence Academy,
Khadakvasala and later Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, The officer had an
illustrious career in the Indian Army spanning nearly four decades. He has rich
experience in serving in almost all types of Signal units to include Infantry,
Mountain and Mechanized formations. Graduate of the prestigious 'Defence
Services Staff College(DSSC)'. He obtained his MSC in Defence Studies from
University of Madras. He commanded a Mtn Div Sig Regt in the North East in
active CI ops environment. His staff assignments outside his parent Corps
includes, BM of an Mtn Bde in Ladakh, Col GS of an Inf Div in J&K and ADG
CAB(Complaints Advisory Board) at the Army HQs.
His service was commended and was awarded VSM in Jan 1989 in
recognition of distinguished services in the execution of Electronic
Warfare(EW) and Signal Intelligence(SI) plans during OP PAWAN. His professional
qualifications also include attending the 'Senior Defence Management Course' at
the College of Defence Management at Secunderabad. He was later elected as a
'Fellow' of All India Management Association.
Was nominated to attend the prestigious 'National Defence College
Course' in 1990 and obtained his M Phil in 'Defence and Strategic Studies' from
University of Madras. He was decorated with AVSM in Jan 1993 and in recognition
of distinguished service of the highest order, during his long and illustrious
career, by the President with an award of PVSM in Jan 1999. The General Officer
has the unique distinction of commanding three premier training institutions of
the Armed Forces namely, MCTE, DSSC and NDC.
A very keen student of Military Technology, National Security
Affairs and International and Strategic Relations, the General Officer has also
represented the country in Asian Regional Forum (ARF) Heads of Defence
Universities/Colleges and Military Institutions (HDUCIM), interacting with as
many as 20 Strategic Institutions across the globe. The General officer has authored many papers
and conceived strategic projects (EW) and contributes regularly to various
military journals and publications. His book on 'Military Ethics' has been
commended by many. Retired from active service in Apr 2001.
