NEW DELHI: Noting that soldiers can’t be denied the use of smartphones at a time when social media is all-pervasive, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat said on Tuesday there was an urgent need to leverage the medium to “our advantage” because adversaries deploy it for psychological warfare and deception.Delivering the keynote address on “Social Media and the Armed Forces” to a gathering of senior officials from the three armed services, the Army chief said that social media could be utilised to combat proxy war, insurgency and terrorism in the country."For doing this, we need to have an organisation in place at all levels. We are undertaking an overall study to restructure the Army headquarters. Within this, how do we ensure that social media platforms become an important adjunct of our information warfare strategy?” the Army chief said.“Do we need a directorate general of information warfare? Can we amalgamate some of our existing resources and ensure that social media becomes a part and parcel of our life in the Army?” he added.The Army chief’s comments are significant as they indicate a newer thinking in the armed forces that are often at the receiving end of fake news or face terrorist and insurgent groups adept at using social media and videos for propaganda.Referring to mobile apps being designed for the welfare of soldiers and officers, the Army chief said if applications are being created for them then how could they be denied the use of smartphones.“Smartphones are here to stay. We must learn to utilise them to our advantage,” he said.