Library:LikeWar
| LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media | |
|---|---|
| Author | P. W. Singer & Emerson T. Brooking |
| First published | 2018 |
| ISBN | 978-1-328-69574-1 |
| Role | Analysis |
| Domains | Technology & Media Politics & Elections |
| Tactics | Propaganda Technique Fabrication |
LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media is a 2018 book by P. W. Singer & Emerson T. Brooking.
Summary
P. W. Singer, a strategist and author at the think tank New America, and Emerson T. Brooking, a researcher on digital conflict, published this book in 2018. It argues that social media has become a battlefield on which wars, elections and public opinion are now fought, and that the rules of this battlefield favour whoever can capture attention.
The new battlefield
The book's central claim is that the internet has transformed conflict. Military forces, governments, terrorist groups, activists, criminals and celebrities all compete on the same platforms, using the same tools, for the same resource: attention. Battles are no longer fought only on the ground, but also in how events are perceived around the world.
The cases
Singer and Brooking draw on a wide range of examples. They describe how the Islamic State used social media in 2014 to spread terror ahead of its advance on Iraqi cities, effectively weakening its enemies before the fighting started. They examine Russian information operations, the use of social media in conflicts in the Middle East, gang violence fuelled by online insults, and the rise of political figures who mastered the platforms.
The rules
The authors identify principles that govern this kind of conflict. Virality matters more than truth: content spreads because it provokes emotion, not because it is accurate. Narrative, emotion, authenticity and community are the weapons that work. Anyone can be a participant, and many people take part in information wars without realizing it. Because the platforms reward engagement, they amplify the most inflammatory material.
The role of the platforms
The book discusses how technology companies, which designed their platforms for advertising and engagement, found themselves policing a battlefield. Their decisions about what to allow and promote now shape conflicts and elections.
Responses
Singer and Brooking argue that governments, companies and citizens must adapt. They call for better digital literacy, more accountability from platforms and a recognition that information security is now part of national security.
Relevance to Bullshitopedia
The book describes the environment in which current claims spread, and its central rule, that virality beats truth, is the problem the site exists to counter. It is a core text for the Technology & Media domain.