Social media are changing the way that
information is passed across societies and
around the world. The rapid spread of blogs,
social networking sites, and media-sharing
technology (such as YouTube), aided by the
proliferation of mobile technology, is also
changing the conditions in which the United
States conducts military operations. The
speed and transparency of information have
increased dramatically. Events that only a few
years ago could have remained state secrets
indefinitely are being reported around the
world in minutes.