International Outcry and the Social Media Ally
From a world forever changed and left feeling restrained by the effects of globalization and modern technology, came the birth of a new form of power, social media. Social media has allowed humanity to obtain and relay information across the globe with unprecedented speeds and for some with virtually little restraints. Therefore, it should not be so hard to believe that trends can easily become global and that what is done in one part of the world can cause a chain reaction of events in another. One trend in particular that is popular in the news today is the use of social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as video sharing sites like YouTube. While many of us are familiar with these forms of social media as a tool for entertainment in our spare time, it is important to understand that they also hold a more serious service. They are a tool of mobilization for those around the world struggling to have their voices heard.
5 comments:
Sara I enjoyed reading your post, technology, especially social media sites have gotten so advanced. You can find out information much faster than years ago. If something happens on the other side of the world, you can hear about it in a instant.
Amanda
Hello.
I enjoyed your post. I was impressed with the efforts Twitter made to be relevant to the uprisings in the Middle East and Africa. I remember that Google created a tool to help people in those crisis areas leave a voice mail which could be turned into a Tweet, as many of the countries banned Twitter use. It made me feel good that companies like Google and Twitter have a social conscience and are capable of doing the right thing rather than chase profits.
Sara, a well-written and very interesting article giving enough recent detailed examples to make your point. The Al Jazeera video was a great source to support your article. And, it was disturbing to see the Ian Thomlinson attack by police. But, YouTube does, indeed, increase transparency.
What would the world be like if large parts of the www goes down? Scary thought but one I give a lot more thought to now.
I think about our political system that now relies on social media and Internet. Look at how Palin is building her following on Twitter along with Fox – the professional media is circumvented as she builds her image and gets her voice directly to her audience.
Thanks for the resources too.
Hi Sara,
I see we have a common interest, as I recently wrote on this topic for another class. I found it interesting that some, like Malcolm Gladwell, ridiculed so-called Twitter Revolutions like Moldova, Iran and Egypt for being defined by their social networking tools, and deriding all digital activism as simply too easy and effortless. But as Brendan Greely so aptly put it: "People in crisis don't find new platforms; they reach out on the ones they have, the ones they already use to share pictures of babies and picnics. Facebook is not vital despite its frivolity, but because of it." This sentiment was reiterated by Ethan Zuckerman's Cute Cat Theory, and Clay Shirky, who says that "tools for broad use," unlike those specifically designed for dissention, "are much harder to censor without risking politicizing the larger group of apolitical actors."
I had never heard of the Slutwalk. That sounds like a great event to bring women together for fun and empowerment.
Thanks,
April
Greeley, Brendan. "The Fallacy of Facebook Diplomacy." Bloomberg Businessweek 4215 (2011): 8-9.Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 11 May 2011.
Shirky, Clay. "The Political Power of Social Media." Foreign Affairs 90.1 (2011): 28-41. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 12 May 2011.
Thank you for the informative article. I had never given much thought to the extreme power the social networking site have. It is true that you can gather up so many people in an instant. That can be a good thing or very dangerous too. People are definitely becoming more empowered because of it. You said that the sites were “built to spread” and they sure have succeeded with that. My 86 year old grandmother is on facebook. She could gather up a group of senior citizens to oppose an injustice without a problem. It is true when you said that “media is now being used by the average citizen as a tool to fight back an oppressive power”. There will always be people who go to far, like Elliot Madison. It seems like he used illegal tactics to interfere with police safety issues
I cannot imagine life without the internet. Social networking has allowed me to keep in touch with friends and family from all over the world.
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