The Role of Social Networking

We all agree that the development of social networking sites has transformed the way we communicate, and perceptions of this are often negative. We all have those friends who feel the need to spread the word that they are hungry, ‘check in’ to their bed as they fall asleep each night, or even employ Facebook as their personal thought system, explaining how much they love their boyfriend or hate their job. But amongst this meaningless chatter, there are communities out there using social networks to create change.

In the MENA revolutions, social networks were used to broadcast pictures and stories, as well as coordinate protestor’s thoughts, demands, and actions. The power of social networks as a tool for change can best be clarified in two examples.

1. In January 2010 Londoner Ayman Najafi was sentenced to one month in jail followed by permanent expulsion from the UAE for sharing a greeting kiss on the cheek in Dubai. A Twitter campaign began with the hash tag #freeayman. In less than forty minutes from the first tweet from a desk in Doha, it was trending worldwide; with many people demanding (as Ayman holds an American passport) that the US authorities intervene. The US State Department was informed; contact with senior regime figures was reportedly made and a short time later Ayman was released.

2. I know Ted has already shown us this example, but I am still overwhelmed at the magnitude of it. Assmaa Mahfouz made a video calling for a protest in Tahrir Square on January 25 to fight for basic human rights. Her message spread virally over YouTube, recruiting over one million people to stand and fight for the cause. This shows that social media was a key driver and a game changer in Egypt, primarily because it bridged the gap between social classes, and for the first time, created a much larger united anti-government front that included rich and poor.

Tahrir Square on Jan 25th 2011

Social media has become an invaluable tool for many individuals and news organsations, constructing a way around restriction and censorship. It has also weakened the mainstream media’s role as gatekeepers as they now do not have exclusive control over stories covered.

All in all, the idea of social networking to do with revolutions and social and political change is fascinating and ever changing. I urge you to read further in to the amazing stories of how social networking has allowed ordinary citizens to create the much needed change in MENA, starting with this: http://newsgroup.ae/amir2011/amir-march-29.pdf

Em.