SOCIAL MEDIA, THE CATALYST BEHIND THE ARAB SPRING

http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/images/focus_On_1009_social_media.jpg

"We had a clean revolution. The former president turned out to be a coward. He just ran away. Not like the others - like the poor Libyans, or in Syria - but it lit the fuse to all the other revolutions" (“Arab Uprising: Country by Country.”) The Arab Spring was a series of violent and non-violent protests that began in December 2010 that took place in many nations in the Arab World.  The protests differed by nation; some resulted in revolution, others were quelled rather quickly, and violence along with political instability continues in many nations.  The free flowing exchange of ideas and coverage of events allowed the Arab Spring to spread to many Arab nations.  Social media played a critical role in the sharing of information and was the main catalyst for the “successful” revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya.

The rise of social media as a critical tool for organizing anti-government groups began long before the events in December 2010 that officially commenced the Arab Spring as we know it.  Social media tools allowed event organizers to act and speak anonymously on the internet using a variety of tools to mask their identities while online.  As things advanced, protesters in Tunisia used Facebook and other social media tools to disseminate ideas, organize protests, and most importantly share videos and pictures of the horrors happening to peaceful protesters. A quote from the online magazine “The Atlantic” best describes how social media was used in Tunisia, “…How those streets became flooded by so many, well, it wasn't random, and social media's role boils down to two simple but central accomplishments: First, Facebook and elsewhere online is where people saw and shared horrifying videos and photographs of state brutality that inspired them to rebel. Second, these sites are where people found out the basic logistics of the protests -- where to go and when to show up.” (Rosen) As events progressed, more and more Tunisians flocked to the internet, specifically social media, for information on the revolt. (Rosen) The following image shows a breakdown of Tunisia’s internet usage along with a timeline of social media events.  

Social media was used in a similar manner in Egypt.  The following video is an overview of the death of Khaled Said.  His death along with the pictures and videos surrounding his death has been attributed to starting the revolutionary protests in Egypt. (Logan)

"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvYo6hwKcys" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvYo6hwKcys

"All of us are Khaled Said, because all of us might face the same destiny at any point in time."  (Logan) This thought resonated with Egypt’s youth and quickly spread like wildfire across chat rooms and social media sites on the internet.  Social media allowed the images of Khaled Said to be rapidly shared among people and allowed the people to openly discuss their ideas across geographies.  This only one example of how social media fueled the Arab Spring.

        

        Libyan revolutionaries used social media as a weapon to battle propaganda from the state during the revolution.  The uprising, which began on February 17, 2011, has been documented on social media since its inception.  Libyans learned from the protests in Tunisia and Egypt that controlling media is essential in garnering support.  Not only did protesters learn that lesson, but the government headed by Colonel Qaddafi heeded the message as well.  A propaganda war continued throughout February as protests increased in magnitude.  The government used state controlled media outlets such as television channels and radio stations to spread statewide messages supporting the Qaddafi regime.  The even encouraged amateur photographers to post pictures and videos on the web in support of the government.  The opposition fought back in Libya using non-state controlled media outlets including Twitter and Facebook, as well as foreign media outlets to gain support for the opposition from within Libya and the rest of the world.  The “New York Times” article from February 24, 2011 ends with, “Whichever side wins this media battle will probably be well on the way to ruling the country.”  (Mekay) This statement foreshadows just how significant of a role social media played in the Libyan Revolution.

Social media allows revolutionaries to attract international support.  Not only do they use social media to organize and disperse information, they can connect with people in countries across the globe and share their stories.  The Arab Spring has become so large in scope due partly due to the fact that people of oppressed nations are seeing videos and images of common people leading revolutions.  Professor Leonard Shyles explains, ““It is no longer merely the elites in a society that will aspire to self-definition,” says Professor Shyles. Seeing what is possible – and watching revolutions in neighboring nations in real time – changes the shape of what people aspire to. “It may seem a platitude, but human beings want to be free.””  Shyles states that all humans want to be free.  Social media breaks down the borders between nations and allows revolutionaries the share with foreign nations.  In the case of the Arab Spring, this has lead other people of other oppressed nations to imitate the actions of the countries that have had successful revolutions. (Goodale)

Social media itself cannot lead to a revolution.  It is simply a tool that people in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya had at their disposal.  All three of these countries had many things in common including: the state heavily controlled media, repercussions for criticizing the government, and a general sentiment of disapproval towards the government.  Social media solved these problems by allowing people to anonymously criticize the government and share their stories through a media that the government had limited control of.  The people of these countries have learned not to believe the stories run by the state media outlets and relied on the internet to get their news. A 24 year old Tunisian man sums this up by stating, "We still don't believe the news and television… I research what's happening on Facebook and the internet." (Beaumont) The following video is of a speech by General Qaddafi illustrating the use of state run media.

The protests that took place in the Arab World that took place between late 2010 and 2013 are collectively known as the Arab Spring.  Many of these protests have lead to successful revolutions while others are still inconclusive.  Social media allowed the opposition of these nations to anonymously spread ideas, organize events, and inspire others.  Social media itself did not oust political leaders such as General Qaddafi, however it helped put the feet on the street that caused a revolution.  “In my eyes, social media is one of the most important global leaps forward in recent human history… It connects people, their ideas and values, like never before.” (Omidyar)

Works Cited

"Arab Uprising: Country by Country." BBC News. BBC, 11 Dec. 2013. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.

Beaumont, Peter. "The Truth about Twitter, Facebook and the Uprisings in the Arab World." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 25 Feb. 2011. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.

Goodale, Gloria. "In Libya, Perfecting the Art of Revolution by Twitter." The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 10 May 2011. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.

Logan, Lara. "The Deadly Beating That Sparked Egypt Revolution."CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 2011. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.

Mekay, Emad. "One Libyan Battle Is Fought in Social and Media News." The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Feb. 2011. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.

Omidyar, Pierre. "Social Media: Enemy of the State or Power to the People?"The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 27 Feb. 2014. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.