War in the Smartphone Age: Conflict, Connectivity and the Crises at Our Fingertips

Summary

Thanks to smartphones, war is everywhere, all the time. Anyone can view, analyze, and comment on photos, videos, or other warzone media. Where did this technology come from? And what does it mean for the future of war?

This book explains why you see what you do on your phone, and how these devices shape our knowledge, conduct, and representation of war in the 2020s. It shows why smartphones are indispensable in peace and wartime: every device is a potential weapon, lines blur between war and daily life, and conflict becomes a shared digital experience. Social media platforms displace state-controlled narratives, amplifying violence and shaping war's legitimacy. Apps democratize conflict, enabling anyone to identify and attack perceived enemies. As the Ukraine war has shown, this new reality involves complex, unevenly distributed infrastructures, merging civilian communication with military targeting.

With war accelerating beyond our comprehension, militaries have raced to benefit from and adapt to the smartphone age. Matthew Ford explores critical questions about today's hyper-connected battlefield.