Radcliffe, Damian2017-10-102017-10-102016-01https://hdl.handle.net/1794/2281215 pagesThis report is the fourth in a series of annual reports designed to capture some of the key developments in the world of social media -¬ within the Middle East -¬ during the past twelve months. Interest in this field, which was first unlocked by the Arab Spring, continues to attract researchers, marketers and businesses. The reasons for this are multiple: the region’s “youth bulge” makes the market attractive for anyone seeking to attract a young tech-¬‐savvy audience, meanwhile the growth of ISIS - and their use of social media - continues to pose challenging questions for policy makers and freedom of speech advocates. These developments play out against a diverse backdrop, and this diversity results in wide variances in usage of social media and other digital technologies; with particular differences between the Gulf region and North Africa. In aggregate, regional usage of social media continues to be behind the global average.enCreative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-USSocial mediaSocial networkingArab SpringMiddle EastMENAMiddle East and North AfricaArab WorldFacebookTwitterInstagramWhatsAppMobileYouTubeVideo contentMedia habitsMedia consumptionSocial newsSecond screenInternet governanceNetwork societyArticle