"Unless the military vastly improves its understanding of…" — author not named in IA metadata (#c374)

Card #c374IR // #c374SynthesisMilitary report

Unless the military vastly improves its understanding of social media's utility and invests more in applying it, it risks losing relevance and becoming a blunt instrument for executing political aims and providing security in the 21st century; the British military's current doctrinal view is limited, best characterised as caution, with opinion divided on relative threats and opportunities.

— In our words · Source: Seizing the Digital High Ground: Military Operations and Politics in the Social Media Era (author not named in IA metadata)

[Use when]

Treat a new information environment as a threat to be policed and you fall behind; treat it as terrain to be seized and you stay relevant — caution is a doctrine, not a strategy.

[Why it matters]

It names the mechanism of modern information warfare: social media has decisively altered the speed, scrutiny, and sensitivity of the military's operational environment — imposing values and manipulating the news is increasingly difficult for governments and Great Powers.