This week was the case study about the Arab Spring. Since this is the same topic as my final paper, I guess I have a pretty strong opinion about the revolutions and how social media came into play.
Actual human beings started the revolutions, not social media. Social media did however make the revolutions much larger. Prior to social media protesters and activists had to rely on old forms of communication; radio, letters, phone, TV, word of mouth, for example. Social media allowed the entire world to see what was happening during the revolutions in real time. Citizens of the countries were filming the protests and riots with their phones and cameras and uploading them straight to Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. The revolutions immediately got world-wide attention and most of the revolutions were successful for the countries. Without social media the citizens in the countries would not be able to post their thoughts, opinions, and videos of what was actually happening around them. I agree with what Ted said in class, the videos that these citizen journalists are uploading are much more valuable than the videos that are seen on television. TV cameras would not be able to get the shots that the citizens can see.
Also, I want to point out another thing Ted mentioned in class; the women who are leading the protests. I myself am not really a feminist, but I have done a few readings about the women in the Middle East and North Africa and the fact that they are actually leading revolutions is astonishing. They will defiantly be in history books one day. It surprises me that men are allowing the women to lead the protests and it also surprises me that men allow the videos of the women leading the protests online, but if it gets word out to the world about the revolution then I guess they do not care.
Totally agree with you here Kathleen - social media played a huge part in the Arab Spring, but was not the driving factor. The driving factor was the passion in the people using social media as a way to convey their passion and incite it in others. Citizen journalism proved invaluable in conveying to the rest of the world what atrocities and realities were occurring in the Arab world, capturing images and footage that would have never been captured otherwise. The establishment of platforms such as the free egypt youtube channel provided a place for the viewing and dissemination of such footage that was too graphic or violent to portray on mainstream news channels. This was extremely important in representation of the level of corruption that was occurring within these Arab countries. I believe that this kind of footage helped gain political support from the western world, helping overthrow many leaders such as Mubarak and Gaddafi.
ReplyDeleteYer, I agree Kathleen that it was human beings that started these revolutions. I also think that it is strategically important that 'evidence' can be filmed on mobile phones and distributed for all the world to see. Previous to web2.0 and digital technologies, I think that many things were heresay and that governments were unable to be held accountable for their actions, they could so easily deny and justify their shortfalls to the public. Video technology and social networking have changed all of this because governments must now behave responsibly. Their actions are on a global stage as you say and States are now held accountable, they are no longer sovereign!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that you mention that these women in the Middle East and North Africa are leading these revolutions contrary to established and traditional Muslim beliefs. I actually wondered that they weren't arrested and hauled away. I wonder at perhaps the momentum that has already been established on a global stage that the government can no longer control the citizens. I also think that it is interesting that you mention the men in these countries allowing these women to lead them and for this to be filmed and can only surmise that there is either an enormous discrepancy in Western perceptions of Muslim culture, strategically, or that their situation is so dire that their desire to be free far outweighs their need to assert their masculinity. I enjoyed reading your post.
This is a really great post, I enjoyed reading it. I think you have bought up some great points. I think that we all just find it easier to blame social networking rather than facing the facts that humans are responsible. (I guess its easier to blame social networking who cant defend itself)
ReplyDeleteThe fact that new technologies allow for us to participate in citizen journalism I think is great. The videos (like those seen in the lecture) would just not be possible without the citizens actually using their mobile devices to film them. Citizen journalism is able to provide us with such an insight into what is actually happening in these countries rather than seeing a biased opinion through the news or current affairs.
While technologies play a part in these riots they definately aren't to blame!
I have to agree with you, too! It's people the ones to start the revolution but social media has made it easier to do it. Has given the opportunity to communicate with people you would never meet in your everyday life and make "small" groups (or so they thought they were) gather together and become stronger. Technologies are acting as the most powerful tool people can use to change things.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that social media was a tool used, but not the reason of driving force behind it. People wante3d change, and social media helped accomplish something but it wasn't social media that caused that want for change to begin with.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Indeed, citizen journalists are uploading are much more valuable than the videos that are seen on television. Traditional media turns to more entertainment and bureaucracy. In the other words, traditional media restrict by authority of domestic. The reason why new media is the platform drive revolution communication is because audience are more active to control the information within new media platform. I think it is a good way that civilians communicate and exchange information through new media platform, it hence the degree of democracy. It is the fact that citizen journalists reflect more truth than professional journalists, and new media is a good way to spread.
ReplyDeleteI like that you mentioned the history books. It makes you think about the future when looking back at these events and the footage and records that could be studied thanks to those citizen journalists. Unlike revolutions, it will leave nothing to the imagination. Imagine if the technology of today was always available. How much more insight we would have if cell phone cameras were around during the Tiananmen Square protests or the demonstrations in East Germany led to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The history books will definitely be more accurate from now on.
ReplyDeleteYeah its amazing to see how these social media platforms are such powerful tools. i also agree with you that they did don't start the revolutions but they did allow for them to happen at such an unprecedented scale. The people of these countries who have been suppressed for many years finally had the tools at their disposal to form a massive protest and change their living for the better.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I agree with your thoughts here. The videos from citizens are definitely much more valuable than those that we see on TV news. The ones that we see on TV are simply bits and pieces of the after-effects, none that could capture what those people had 'in the moment'. And yes, the Muslim culture are usually lead by men, I was surprised too that they had allowed a women to lead the protest and did not object it in any way.
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