The case of the Arab Spring is very instructional on this because it was actually studied. Major take-aways are thus:

1. Social media companies and the west had a propagandistic interest in the narrative that Facebook and Twitter was assisting "democratic change".

2. There is no real association between internet access/cell phone use and social unrest.

3. Banning internet access did not reduce unrest, and seemed to do the opposite.

4. Social media was however weaponized against dissidents and used to amplify their opponents.

Overall, the social media environment is essentially hostile enemy territory full of landmines, tanks, machine gun nests, and double-agents.