Monday, November 25, 2013

9: Internet Politics

Politics by itself is a very complicated and loaded issue. And when it comes to what sort of power the Internet holds against politics? Nothing.

Even though social media did not bring about the Arab Spring, it played a key role in the demonstrations. The communicative power of social media platforms were essential to the success of the revolutions.

It is the people who wield the power. It is the people who, through the internet, get empowered and get things done. In Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen, protests were organised through social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Facebook has been used to schedule protests and Twitter to coordinate. Youtube has been a key channel for the world to watch these protests, recorded by the locals.  These tools have allowed the distribution of information essential to organising a movement that helped overthrow oppressive, dictative authorities.

Through the use of social media, fear has been broken. People have the ability now to connect and share information with like-minded individuals in their own country. Through social media, they can share feelings, emotions and sentiments about the status of their country. It is through discussion brought together online, that the concept of overthrowing the government can become reality.

Social media has, according to Professor Hussein Amin of mass communications at the American University of Cairo, "provided activists with an opportunity to quickly disseminate information while bypassing government restrictions" for the first time.

For more information, check out these articles:
Twitter Revolution
Effects of the Arab Spring




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