Studio Session 1 Reflection

In class today, my group began to research ISIS and its prevalence in social media and the world stage at large. I had heard plenty about ISIS before--a group responsible for the killings of thousands that are not a part of the muslim faith. It is a radical-hate group supported by many all over the world, and they believe that by killing off non-muslims they are helping support and create an Islamic state. After today's session I learned that their efforts are proliferated and furthered by their use of social media. Even those that do not believe in or support the ISIS efforts still follow their twitter page, and have even downloaded their app--which can actively tweet messages for you made by ISIS members. Beyond their social outreach, they post YouTube videos of their killings with their warning messages and threats. These have been viewed by millions of people and have helped spark outrage against them on social media and with government action all over the world. I am now very interested to go further with this project after today, as I think it will not only better my understanding of the ISIS effort on the main news stage today, but show me how social media can effectively control and push a movement forward on large scales.