當2000年代末至2010年代初，緬甸的軍政府開始放鬆對國家的控制，推動政治與經濟改革。這促進了緬甸與自由民主國家的關係，帶來外國投資的激增與國內網路連接的大幅提升。這場突如其來的網路時代飛躍，極大改變了緬甸公民之間的溝通方式與資訊獲取方式。不久之後，緬甸出現了加劇的族群衝突與網路上的宗教民族主義浪潮。
如果說資訊的自由流通應該能強化民主，那麼緬甸到底出了什麼問題？本論文將透過對緬甸社群媒體活動進行情緒分析，並輔以對外交官、政府官員與獨立新聞來源的訪談，試圖揭示社群媒體在族群暴力形成中所扮演的角色。

In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Myanmar's military junta began loosening its grip on the country, allowing for political and economic reforms. This helped foster stronger ties with liberal democracies, leading to a surge in foreign investment and greater internet connectedness for Myanmar's citizens. This sudden leap into the internet age created enormous shifts in how many Myanmar citizens communicated with each other and accessed information. Soon after, Myanmar saw an intensification of ethnic violence and a surge in religious nationalism, particularly online. If greater access to information is supposed to strengthen democracies, what went wrong in Myanmar? By applying sentiment analysis based on data collected from Myanmar's social media activity, as well as interviews to gather insights from diplomats, government officials, and independent news sources, this thesis will strive to uncover what role social media played in shaping ethnic violence.