Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s push to connect with troops on social media is a good way to reach service members who already spend a lot of time online, but likely won’t give troops a venue to raise serious concerns, analysts say.
Scott Talan, a communications professor at American University, said the lack of anonymity on social media could make service members unwilling to bring up substantial concerns in that kind of forum.
“For any real criticism or something serious, it’s unlikely they’re going to post this on a public platform,” he said. “I doubt they’ll get anything serious or critical, because it’s not anonymous. People will fear repercussions.”
During a town hall question and answer session on Tuesday where Carter took questions submitted via social media with the hashtag #AskSecDef, he mostly fielded inquiries on topics he frequently speaks about, including women in combat, closing Guantanamo Bay, retirement and benefits reform and the strategy against the Islamic State.
Still, Talan said using more social media is a necessary transition as the military tries to better connect with troops of all ages.
“The military presents vastly different security concerns and methods of command and communication. Unlike most workplaces, you can literally tell someone in the military exactly what you want and be confident it will be done. They may have felt like they didn’t need other avenues,” he said. “It maybe could’ve been done sooner, but better late than never.”
In May, Carter became the first defense secretary to have his own Facebook page, with the Pentagon saying that the social media platform will allow him to connect with troops and their families “in a way that hasn’t been possible before.”
“Joining Facebook is just one more way as secretary of defense he can better communicate with service members and their families and help the Pentagon think ‘outside the five sided box’ to drive change,” the statement said.
Using social media to communicate with troops gives the perception of access and also allows Carter to reach young troops who are increasingly using mobile devices and social media to get their news, said Karen Riggs, a social media expert and professor at Ohio University.
“By using social media, he remains relevant,” Riggs said.
A Military Family Lifestyle Survey found that 93 percent of military families use Facebook — higher than the civilian population — with 89 percent of families using it daily, according to a Pentagon release.
Carter also launched his own LinkedIn page during a visit to Silicon Valley last week, a move Talan said is especially smart to stay connected to service members as they transition out of the military and look for jobs in the private sphere.
“LinkedIn is especially wise because after someone completes their service, if they don’t stay in military, LinkedIn is a nice bridge to non-military world professional possibilities and employment,” he said.
Riggs said the ultimate success of the program will depend on how open and candid Carter is able to be on his social media platforms.
“How that message gets controlled and the extent the message gets controlled will have everything to do with the success of this forum, because people know,” she said. “They’ll be able to see through anything that appears to be a smoke screen.”
