The effect of social media on the Syrian refugees living in Jordan and Turkey

This study aimed to identify the effects of social media on the Syrian refugees from the point of view of the Syrian refugees living in Turkey Jordan. It also aimed to present the negative and positive effects of social media on Syrian refugees and the function carried out by social media on the lives of Syrian refugees as well as the effect of the use of the social media on the refugees' lives in countries of asylum in detail at the level of conceptual and vital practices within the process of historical flow which formed the general framework of the study. The study also attempted to analyze the Syrian refugee crisis and the conflict in Syria by reviewing the history of asylum and the international concepts and agreements related to the refugee situation in addition to the backgrounds of the Arab Spring and its implications on the Syrian civil war and on the Syrian refugees distributed in the camps and outside camps in a number of countries such as Jordan and Turkey through the use of qualitative and quantitative research methods to reach the results of the study. In order to reach the results of the study, a questionnaire was designed to answer the questions of the study. The sample of the questionnaire was a total of 606 Syrian refugees; 303 Syrian refugees in Jordan and 303 Syrian refugees in Turkey. As well, focused group discussions with a number of Syrian refugees in Istanbul and Amman were conducted to have a more in-depth understanding of the problem of the study. The results of the study showed that social media has positive as well as negative effects on the Syrian refugees' lives. The positive effects of social media on the Syrian refugees according to the results of the study were in the context of educational, commercial, and social aspects such as connecting with their families and relatives, establishing friendships, reaching charities and aids organizations, and learning and acquiring new skills. Furthermore, social media contributed to forming the "Refugee Journalist" phenomenon, conveying refugees suffering, shaping the collective memory of the Syrian people. Furthermore, it contributed positively to organizing crowdfunding campaigns that provide refugees with aids, support, and sympathy. On the other hand, it was observed that social media had very strong negative effects on the refugees, such as collective memory distortion, causing psychological problems to refugees, witnessing the presence of negative perception of refugees, and forming compassion fatigue towards refugees suffering. Results as well showed negative effects of social media on leading to lack of interaction among the families of refugees because of addiction and long use of social media, using it as a tool in exploiting and smuggling some refugees, spreading false news, increasing xenophobia against refugees, stigmatizing refugee women in some contexts and increasing sexual and gender-based violence in other contexts. Keywords: Social Media, Syrian Refugees, Jordan, Turkey, Effect.