Week 11

Twitter and Facebook have been proven to be more than just sites to talk to friends, to invite people to parties and to grow digital crops. These social media sites have proved to be quintessential communication mediums of the new decade. Volume of people using these systems and the speed at which they operate is unlike any other communication format ever seen before. Henceforth it wasn't long before people were able utilize these sites and use them to spread awareness for certain causes. As we have seen in the Arab Spring no less than 17 different countries holding protests against their current government, many of those admitted to using social media websites to drum up support hence creating a Twitter Revolution.

Of course giving all the credit to these sites would be wrong and foolish. These demonstrations were created by people with ideas and beliefs who spread their message and create a following. Without the instigators and their followers the revolutions would not have had as near an impact and would have failed to be successful. However at the same time, the use of Twitters #tag and Facebook's event creation meant that all demographic factors could be overcome. Anyone of any age, any race, any religion living anywhere was able to see this message and choose to support it, ignore it or help spread it.

The Arab spring would not have succeeded in places like Egypt and Libya without people power. The sheer number of people willing to stand up for what they believed in was the reason that these protests were successful. Social media sites contributed dramatically to this cause yet credit can not be given to this technology. Credit is given to every person who walked the streets calling for improvements to their nation.