Conclusions on Social Media and Critical Security Studies in a Digital Age

Concluding on social media and security seems premature as the field is likely only going to grow and mutate in the coming years. However, some initial reflections are possible. In particular, the need to challenge disciplinary boundaries, to expect the unexpected, and take account of the undulating topography of social media have helped to highlight how diverse security is on social media. Added to this, the chapters in this book have shed light on a, although limited, aspect of “discursive emancipation” where social media clearly does give voice on security questions to users that previously would have been excluded from security discussions. The range of actors that have been shown to have been influential in security debates in this book is important, from a football YouTuber to a pop music fan and individuals thousands of miles away from the UK who shape British security debates on Twitter. Additionally, this book has demonstrated the paradoxical and unexpected narratives, discourses and symbols that emerge to subvert, challenge and construct security debates on social media. These have included the use of football songs to contest ISIS security threats, many local themes of urban identity intertwined with local and international security concerns and a range of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. As such, the important work to come from future scholars would do well to maintain an open mind and entertain a wide range of viewpoints and articulations of security in the digital age.