Social media revolution in egypt

Social media has become one of the most powerful factors in grassroots socio-political mobilization across the globe. The January 25 revolution in Egypt gained a major foothold with the application of social media tools like Facebook and Twitter. Since the existence of media, individuals have used it to demand more governmental transparency and mobilize allies. Throughout the lecture Clinton compared the constant news coverage that occurred in the case of Bosnia-Herzegovina Genocide with the role of social media in Egypt.

It has created a new era of social activism where the powerless can finally be heard, be part of government policies and have a voice. Unlike before, governments are no longer able to control the content and sway the thoughts of the masses, as the content are created by the people for the people. This article will highlight the shift from traditional activism to digital activism by using the Egyptian Revolution as a specific example, examining the role social media had in planning the protests, how it was used during the protests and governments attempt to control information by shutting the internet down.

These statistics show that most people have a method of accessing social media now days either by phone or a computer, which means convincing to join groups or other websites is minimal. On-line activism takes advantage of that as it involves no cost for training, recruitment or any ongoing fees.

The feature that distinguishes and highlights the historical shift between a broadcast and a network environment is the availability of untampered information almost instantly from firsthand accounts, which created a networked environment of individuals sharing the same ideas and beliefs.

“The role of social media in the Egyptian revolution”

We choose the right tools for the right job. If the Civil Rights Movement was to take place around our time, social media would be one of the first targeted platforms for its simplicity, availability, anonymity, and the freedom of expression.

Hell, Medium would be a great place to start! Media plays a main role in social conformism, so relying on broadcast media for information can be deceitful as history has shown.

Liu Xiaobo, a fifty four year old Chinese writer was arrested in after calling for political reforms for human rights in the PRC. Xiaobo received a Nobel peace prize for his long struggle for human rights. Chinese government chose to censor this news as it would lead to social unsettlement.

If you never heard the story of Muhammed Bouazizi then behold, the man that started it all. This man was responsible for overthrowing powerful dictators like no other political power could.

According to various reports on-line, Bouazizi has been subject to harassment by police for sometime now but the events that unfolded on a December morning changed the Arab world forever.

Although the Tunisian government requires no permit to sell from carts, police were harassing Bouazizi for paperwork when matters escalated and he became involved with a physical confrontation with a female police officer.

Culturally in the middle east feminists beware, absurd material it is considered very degrading to be hit by a woman, let alone in public.

Muhammed tried complaining to the governors office but was unsuccessful to find an officer to speak to. So what do you do when your screams for help are left unnoticed for too long? Muhammed Bouazizi returned an hour after and set himself on fire front of watching spectators. He died not long following the events ending his life and a 23 year dictatorship by King Ben Ali.

Matters escalated further when the Egyptian police beat Khaled Said to death for posting a video on YouTube exposing police sharing drugs after a police raid I have been to Egypt and heard many Egyptians tell me stories of police smoking hashish on duty.

Millions of frustrated Egyptians gathered at Tahrir Square! The Jan25 hash tag emerged as a unifying mean for people to join the same cause, in which has created an environment for individuals of no power to raise their voice and concern regarding social and political issues without the interference of the government.

Social Media has now posed a huge threat to the government and despite of the huge financial loss to the economy, the government saw a great urgency in shutting down the internet.Nowhere was this clearer than in Egypt, where social media was well embedded in the culture of the country’s overwhelmingly young population – 60% under the age of The January 25th revolution in Egypt was an incredible achievement by its people and a truly inspiring example of the power of peaceful protest.

Yet the work towards an effective transition to democratic government within Egypt has just begun. Meanwhile a debate continues to rage in the blogosphere as to the exact role played by social media.

Exactly What Role Did Social Media Play in the Egyptian Revolution?

Feb 19,  · Facebook does not a revolution make. In Egypt’s case, it was simply a place for venting the outrage resulting from years of repression, economic instability and individual frustration. Ghonim writes that in , out of Egypt’s more than 80 million people, some 48 million were poor and million lived in extreme poverty.

“The role of social media in the Egyptian revolution” S ocial media has been a main focal point when discussing political uprising in our time. It has created a new era of social activism where the powerless can finally be heard, be .

"Social media have become the pamphlets of the 21st century, a way that people who are frustrated with the status quo can organize themselves and coordinate protest, and in the case of Egypt. "In the same way that pamphlets didn't cause the American Revolution, social media didn't cause the Egyptian revolution," said Sascha Meinrath, director of the New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative.