The theme of the past two blogs has centered around the importance of good data and the distribution, access, and use of that data to educate people within the field of International Relations and to encourage innovation.
Having the ability to discern whether data is good or bad is extremely important. However, Big Data, depending on the context, can be good or bad and has affected IR in incredible ways, specifically in the context of social media.
Here's what Professor and Doctor Andrej Zwitter, NGIZ Chair for International Relations at the Department of Legal Theory say about big data:
"Big Data has induced a hyper-networked world society, in which it is easier than ever before to engage in common political causes irrespective of national boundaries."
Mixing Google with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram (or any other social media platforms) provide the ability to quickly acquire or distribute information and this can be incredibly helpful...or not when facing world crisis or events.
For example, during the protests of the Arab Spring in 2011, Twitter played a huge role. Social media also has helped bring massive audience's attention to the Syrian refugee crisis and to the air quality and pollution in Beijing.
In terms of national security, social media and big data were used when the hacker group Anonymous declared war on ISIS and took out thousands of ISIS-affiliated accounts on Twitter.
And don't forget the increased use of social media between some of our biggest world leaders, Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, former Mexican President Vicente Fox, and many others to "discuss" policy between nations.
The big question to ask of this big data, is what does this mean for us? As young people trying to change the world, how do we navigate through good and bad data, factual information, and Big data to make change in the right way?
It's first acknowledging the depth of the data you're dealing with as an International Relations expert (or practitioner) and realizing that there are both positive and negative aspects in the data out there for you to access.
Then, it's deciding what you are going to do about that fact.
So it's up to you. Will you use it to innovate or avoid it? Tackle the monster, mindfully interpret it and help create progress or conveniently follow the trends and crowds?
Making the world a better place is no easy feat--especially in a modern age when it's hard to know what is fact and what is not. But hopefully, knowing the importance of data and what it can do will help you realize the power of the International Relations field and encourage you to keep striving forward in your journey.
Jordan Young
https://spectator.clingendael.org/en/publication/impact-big-data-international-affairs#
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