Civilian Behavior on Social Media During Civil War

• In Event: Communication and Coordination Under Conflict

Abstract

Recent research has highlighted the mobilization potential of social media, which can offer citizens who were previously motivated to hide their true preferences an easier way to share their grievances and find common support. However, it is not clear how these changing dynamics of revealing preferences affect contentious processes beyond initial mobilization. We argue that in conflict settings, previously shared social media posts indicating political loyalties can pose a severe risk for civilians. For example, anti-regime sentiments or display of digital support for opposition activities may prove to be life-threatening in government controlled areas. We expect civilians to strategically alter their social media usage, in particular in the aftermath of profound changes conflict dynamics. We focus on the end of the siege of Aleppo in late 2016 to understand how Twitter users in Aleppo compare to users in other parts of Syria in terms of changes in activity, sentiment, and emotion. The findings have important implications for our understanding of the risks - and the potential for civilian agency - when using digital communication in civil conflict.

Authors

• Zachary Steinert-Threlkeld, University of California - Los Angeles

• Anita R. Gohdes, Hertie School