DIGITAL MEMORY LANDSCAPES: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN CONTEMPORARY MEMORY POLITICS
Authors/Creators
- 1. University of Mannheim
- 2. «KROK» University
- 3. National Transport University
Description
The proliferation of digital media has fundamentally transformed how historical events and ideological narratives are constructed, contested, and transmitted across societies. This article examines the role of social media platforms in contemporary memory politics, with a particular focus on how state and non-state actors utilize digital communication tools to shape collective memory and historical consciousness. Through analysis of the RussoUkrainian War since 2014 and its broader implications for European democracy, this study demonstrates how social media has become a critical battleground for memory wars that extend far beyond national borders, and how digital platforms have become key battlegrounds in hybrid warfare. The research acknowledges computational methods as valuable tools for future studies, particularly in examining how algorithmic systems may amplify certain historical narratives while suppressing others, potentially altering the traditional landscape of memory politics. The findings suggest that digital platforms have created new forms of “connective memory” that challenge established institutional frameworks for historical transmission, requiring urgent attention from policymakers and schol
ars concerned with democratic resilience and information integrity.
Files
DIZZW #116_October_jornal-27-38.pdf
Files
(480.8 kB)
| Name | Size | Download all |
|---|---|---|
|
md5:f563813fc6e3e614bdd35d00fc019a6d
|
480.8 kB | Preview Download |
Additional details
References
- 1. Assmann, J. (2011). Cultural memory and early civilization: Writing, remembrance, and political imagination. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.de/books?id=ef4fAwAAQBAJ&l pg=PR7&ots=nd3BJAu1R6&dq=Assmann%2C%20J. %20(2011).%20Cul tural%20memory%20and%20early%20civiliza tion%3A%20Writing%2C%20remem brance%2C%20and%20political%20imagina tion.%20Cambridge%20University%20Press.&lr&pg =PP1#v=onepage&q=Assmann,%20J.%20(2011).%20 Cultural%20memory%20and%20early%20civiliza tion:%20Writing,%20remembrance,%20and%20polit ical%20imagination.%20Cambridge%20Univer sity%20Press.&f=false 2. Balykin, I. (2015). National Policy of the So viet Authorities in Donbas 1943–1985 (Doctoral disser tation). National Pedagogical Drahomanov University. 3. Castells, M. (2015). Networks of outrage and hope: Social movements in the Internet age (2nd ed.). Polity Press. Retrieved from https://voidnet work.gr/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Networks-of Outrage-and-Hope-Social-Movements-in-the-Internet Age-Manuel-Castells.pdf 4. Center for Countering Disinformation (2024). About the Center. Retrieved from https://cpd.gov.ua/en/ 5. Council of the European Union. (2025). Mechanisms to uphold the rule of law. Retrieved from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/mecha nisms-to-uphold-the-rule-of-law/ 6. Daliavska, T. P. (2022). Role of media for na tion building processes. Retrieved from https://li brary.krok.edu.ua/media/library/category/materiali konferentsij/2022-12-07_materiali-%D1%81onfer ence-krok.pdf#page=644 7. Daliavska, T. P. (2023). The role of social me dia and internet platforms in enhancing media effi from ciency in the context of European integration. Re trieved https://conf.krok.edu.ua/SRE/SRE 2023/paper/view/1672 8. Daliavska, T. P. (2024). Artificial intelligence as a driver of transformation in social media and its im pact on state development. Retrieved from https://conf.krok.edu.ua/SRE/SRE 2024/paper/view/2481 9. Erll, A. (2019). Memory in culture. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230321670 10. European Commission. (2022). Rule of Law Toolbox Factsheet. Retrieved from https://commis sion.europa.eu/system/files/2022 07/116_1_194503_rol_toolbox_factsheet_en.pdf 11. European Parliament. (2025, January 23). Eu ropean Parliament resolution of 23 January 2025 on Russia's disinformation and historical falsification to justify its war of aggression against Ukraine (2024/2988(RSP)). Retrieved from https://www.euro parl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-10-2025 0006_EN.html 12. European Union. (2024, February 29). Regu lation (EU) 2024/792 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 February 2024 establishing the Ukraine Facility. Retrieved from https://eur-lex.eu ropa.eu/legal-con tent/EN/TXT/?uri=legissum:4741699 13. Halbwachs, M. (1992). On collective memory (L. A. Coser, Trans.). University of Chicago Press. (Original work published 1950) 14. Hoskins, A. (2024). Media, Memory, Meta phor: Remembering and the Connective Turn. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1080/13534645.2011.605573 15. Krafft, PM., Donovan, J. (2020). Disinfor mation by design: The use of evidence collages and platform filtering in a media manipulation campaign. Political Communication 37 (2), 194-214 16. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2015a). Russian Information Campaign Against the Ukrainian State and Defence Forces. Riga: NATO StratCom COE. Retrieved from https://strat comcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publications/download/in foops_report_summary_09062016.pdf?zoom=page-fit 17. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2015b). The manipulative techniques of the Russian information campaign against Ukraine. Riga: NATO StratCom COE. Retrieved from https://stratcomcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publica tions/download/manipulative_techniques_exec_sum mary_14012016.pdf?zoom=page-fit 18. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2016a). Framing of the Ukraine–Russia Conflict in Online and Social Media. Riga: NATO StratCom COE. Retrieved from https://strat comcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publications/down load/ukr_social_media_full_report-2.pdf?zoom=page fit 19. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2016b). Mapping of StratCom practices in NATO countries. Riga: NATO StratCom COE. Re trieved from https://stratcomcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publi cations/download/stratcom_mapping_public_use_12 01-2016.pdf?zoom=page-fit 20. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2016c). Redefining Euro-Atlantic values and Russia's strategic communication in the Euro-At lantic space. Executive Summary. Riga: NATO Strat Com COE. Retrieved from https://strat comcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publications/download/rede fining_values_executive_summary_for_webpage_270 12016.pdf?zoom=page-fit 21. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2016d). Russian Information Campaign Against Ukrainian State and Defence Forces. Riga: NATO StratCom COE. Retrieved from https://strat comcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publications/download/in foops_report_summary_09062016.pdf?zoom=page-fit 22. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2019). The Black Market for Social Media Manipulation. Riga: NATO StratCom COE. Retrieved from https://stratcomcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publica tions/download/web_nato_report_-__the_black_mar ket_of_malicious_use_of_social_media 1.pdf?zoom=page-fit
- 23. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2022a). Attributing Information Influence Operations: Identifying those Responsible for Mali cious Behaviour Online. Riga: Retrieved from NATO StratCom COE. https://strat comcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publications/download/Nato Attributing-Information-Influence-Operations DIGITAL-v4.pdf?zoom=page-fit 24. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2022b). Robotrolling 2022. Riga: NATO StratCom COE. Retrieved from https://strat comcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publications/download/Ro botrolling_2022_1_web.pdf?zoom=page-fit 25. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2023a). Kremlin Communication Strategy for Russian Audiences Before and After the Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine. Riga: NATO StratCom COE. Re trieved from https://stratcomcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publi cations/download/Kremlin_Communication_Strat egy_DIGITAL.pdf?zoom=page-fit 26. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2023b). Social Media Manipulation 2022 2023. Riga: NATO StratCom COE. Retrieved from https://stratcomcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publica tions/download/Social-Media-Manipulation-2022 2023-DIGITAL.pdf 27. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2024a). AI in Precision Persuasion. Un veiling Tactics and Risks on Social Media. Riga: NATO StratCom COE. Retrieved from https://strat comcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publications/download/AI-In Precision-Persuasion-DIGITAL.pdf?zoom=page-fit 28. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2024b). Social Media Manipulation for Sale: Experiment on Platform Capabilities to Detect and Counter Inauthentic Social Media Engagement. Riga: NATO StratCom COE. Retrieved from https://stratcomcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publica tions/download/Social-Media-Manipulation-2024 DIGITAL-1eb50.pdf?zoom=page-fit 29. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2024c). The Doppelganger Case: Assess ment of Platform Regulation on the EU Disinformation Environment. Riga: NATO Retrieved from StratCom COE. https://stratcomcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publica tions/download/The-Doppelganger-Case DIGITAL.pdf?zoom=page-fit 30. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2024d). The Use of Russian Proxy Actors in the Media Environment in Ukraine: A Comparison between Occupied and Non-Occupied Areas, 2017 2023. Riga: NATO StratCom COE. Retrieved from https://stratcomcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publica tions/download/Russian-Proxy-Media-Actors-in Ukraine-DIGITAL.pdf?zoom=page-fit 31. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. (2024e). War on All Fronts: How the Kremlin's Media Ecosystem Broadcasts the War in Ukraine. Riga: NATO StratCom COE. Retrieved from https://stratcomcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=/publica tions/download/War-on-All-Fronts DIGITAL.pdf?zoom=page-fit 32. Nora, P. (1989). Between memory and history: Les lieux de mémoire. Representations, 26, 7-24. https://doi.org/10.2307/2928520 33. Olick, J. K. (2007). The politics of regret: On collective memory and historical responsibility. Routledge. 34. Starbird, K., Arif, A., & Wilson, T. (2019). Disinformation as collaborative work: Surfacing the participatory nature of strategic information operations. Proceedings of the ACM on human-computer interac tion, 3(CSCW), 1-26. 35. The Economist. (2024, December 19). Cancel culture in Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.econo mist.com/christmas-specials/2024/12/19/cancel-cul ture-in-ukraine 36. The New York Times. (2025, January 11). The Painting, the Photograph and the War for Ukraine's Culture. Retrieved from https://www.ny times.com/2025/01/11/world/europe/ukraine-photo painting-culture-war.html 37. van Dijck, J. (2013). The culture of connectiv ity: A critical history of social media. Oxford Univer sity Press. 38. Wang, Q., Hoskins, A. (2024). The Remaking of Memory in the Age of the Internet and Social Media. Oxford University Press.