The Spread of Terrorism Through Social Media

Terrorist groups, such as Al Qaeda and ISIS, use social media and modern technology to promote their militant interests.  Technology increases communication, and by extension, better communication leads to better organization.  Because of social media, many extremist groups have the capability of operating from any corner of the globe. Terrorist organizations have mastered social media to promote their agenda and they have been successful recruiting members from around the world using social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.

These organizations have proven their skills in social media by developing a sophisticated, online campaign in order to distribute their messages and recruit members beyond the Middle East.  The videos showing the beheadings of Western journalists by ISIS are examples of propaganda that aim to instill fear in the Western world and to recruit new members sympathetic to their cause. Social media gives ISIS the ability to broadcast their atrocities in a matter of just a click around the globe.  Individuals and groups think carefully about how they place information on social media.  Likewise, terrorist groups use the same strategy while presenting their grizzly acts to the world. 

As we can see, terrorism has reached a whole new level with the advent of social media. Anybody can use the tools that social media offers in order to promote the messages in which they want to convey.  People post on social media, primarily, in order to illicit a response from their friends and followers and ISIS uses Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube for the same purpose.  ISIS is using social media like everyone else in order to connect with its followers and gain new followers around the world.  Social media is designed for exponential growth and ISIS fully understands this concept and has used it to their advantage.