From Paris to Jakarta: How Terror Attacks Drive Mobile Engagement

From Paris to Jakarta: How Terror Attacks Drive Mobile Engagement – Analysis

Eurasia Review

24 February 2016

Remy Mahzam

Thanks to mobile communication, the 14 January Jakarta attacks were documented by eye-witnesses through their mobile phone cameras and distributed over quick-sharing applications. This also brought the experience to a whole new level, with the spectre of terrorism making its way into the personal spaces of those on mobile connectivity.

The terrorist episode on 14 January 2016 at a busy commercial hub in Jakarta which targeted the police and an iconic, wifi-enabled coffee chain, was an eye-opener. Updates on the attacks swarmed individuals’ mobile notifications with amateur videos and photos capturing the explosions at the point of detonation.

The broadcast especially via the mobile virtual platform, inadvertently magnified the effect of the actual attacks, making the terror ever so much closer and relatable to anyone with mobile connection.

… Remy Mahzam is an Associate Research Fellow with the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

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