How Terrorists Use Social Networks

Weimann, Gabriel. "Terror on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube." Brown Journal of World Affairs 16.2 (2010): 45-54. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 24 Apr. 2011.

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In this article, author Gabriel Weimann’s point of view shows that terrorist are adapting to the current technology and using the new tools to express their message to ore global audiences. The technological advances in social networking sites and hand help cameras and cell phones, states Weimann, has made it easier for terrorist gain supporters and broadcast their plans to others. Gabriel Weimann states that today, terrorists can sit in their bedrooms and take training courses on terrorism. The author believes that the tools that technology has presented today have helped terrorists assume an offensive position. They are now able to lure certain people to their sites without having to use propaganda or having to wait for the followers to come across their websites. Weimann’s point of view is that she feels the tools presented to us today have not only made life easier on us, but on our enemies, making it easier.

The point of view presented by Gabriel Weimann helps show the reader the bad effects of all the technology presented to us today. While the technology in social networks and electronic devices make life on us easier, Weimann fights to make the point that it is also aiding our enemies, beating us at our own game. This point of view should be considered by the reader because a lot of the users of social networks only see the good things about it. She presents her point of view in an easy-to-understand way and supports her case with data from the Army itself, saying that Twitter opens a door for terrorists to create terrorist attacks easier throughout their followers. Readers should also take Weimann’s point of view into consideration because it helps them open their eyes to yet another potential use of Twitter. The author’s determination to alert the readers of these dangers Twitter presents is crucial for the reader to form an opinion on how Twitter should enforce censorship on it’s users today.