[Air-L] New Book: Social Media as Fragile State

[Caroline Haythornthwaite]

I am pleased to share that my book "Social Media as Fragile State: Vulnerabilities, Pressures, and Human Rights” is now available in hardcover (May 2026), with digital and paperback versions to follow.

See details at: https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/isbn/9783111829920/html

Drawing on years of my research and of many others (particularly from AoIR) the book begins by examining the way that social media platforms take on characteristics of states — but fragile states. The first four chapters take up the concepts of Social Media as State, Social Media Societies and Citizens, and Sources of Social Media Fragility. 

The book then outlines six “Social Media Fragility Indicators” derived from aggregating major issues facing society and social media platform. Chapters discuss each of the six indicators — Vulnerabilities and Protections, Social Pressures,  Fragmentation, Human Rights, Economic, and External Pressures indicators, as well as factors that cross these indicators. 

Rather than a classification system for every case facing social media, the indicators are presented as a framework for use in eliciting consideration of each category of fragility. This approach derives from the Fund for Peace Fragile States Indicators (https://fragilestatesindex.org/indicators/). 

I hope AoIR readers will find the earlier chapters useful for review and/or introduction to major issues around social media, and that the Indicators will provide a useful framework for approaching issues relating to social media and social media platforms. Chapter list below.

/Caroline

PS. Ask your library to order one :)

Caroline Haythornthwaite
chaythor at syr.edu
Professor Emerita, School of Information Studies, Syracuse University
Professor Emerita, School of Information Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

TITLE: Social Media as Fragile States: Vulnerabilities, Pressures, and Human Rights
1          Social Media as Fragile States: Introduction
2          Social Media as State
3          Social Media Societies and Citizens
4          Sources of Social Media Fragility
5          Deriving the Social Media Fragility Indicators
6          Vulnerabilities and Protections Indicator
7          Social Pressures Indicator
8          Fragmentation Indicator
9          Human Rights Indicator
10        Economic Indicator
11        External Pressures Indicator
12        Prominent Themes and Cross-Cutting Factors
13        Looking Ahead