Role of Social Media in the Arab Spring

Twenty-eleven came and left, and brought with it events that will never be forgotten. From the earthquakes that hit The Pacific East, the royal wedding, the famine in Somalia, the end to the War in Iraq, and even the death of Steve Jobs, nothing has attracted as much attention as the Arab Uprising. Dubbed the Arab Spring or the Arab Awakening, this uprising has led to the expulsion of the governments in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen. The Arab world has experienced an awakening of free expression that has now entered strongly influencing politics in countries that have always been run by state-sponsored media and information monopolies. We know well that revolutions always start with a popular movement by the people, but have revolutions changed in this age where technology dominates our day to day lives? Was it the ease of communication through non-conventional sources like social media that helped people come together and rise up against their oppressive leaders? This article will discuss the role of social networking, or the lack of it, in the Arab Spring.
Before discussing the role of social media in the Arab Spring, one must know what exactly the Arab Spring is and what motivated this movement towards change. For decades, countries in the Middle East have been ruled by oppressive leaders and dictators, often passing power through the family. In countries that claimed to be ruled by democracy, hereditary autocracies have formed. The injustice and corruption so prevalent in these societies has created a gap between the government and its citizens. A lack of political freedom was also a main problem the Arab Spring addressed. These regimes have been notorious for human rights violations and government corruption. By utilizing secret police and intelligence officers, governments cracked down on opposition political movements. Opposition leaders are imprisoned and anyone who speaks out against the government is severely punished. Without the freedom of being able to express their concerns, people became angry and grew to resent the regimes. Lack of growth and opportunities led to economic decline and high unemployment rates among even the most educated people. Rising living standards and the availability of higher education has created tension as the rising generations struggle to reach their aspirations of economic stability. The center of these protest movements, at least in the beginning, was a new social class that had recently emerged in the Middle East – the graduate with no future [Mason 2]. A well-educated middle class citizen who faced a gloomy future because of a lack of government reforms. This new social class did everything that was asked from it in order to live a decent life, excelling in school and earning their degrees. However, a large percentage of these people were unable to get a decent job or a job at all. By 2011, the youth unemployment rate in North Africa was 20% [Mason 2]. This very dilemma which affected a large percentage of the young populations in the Middle East was bound to cause an uprising sooner or later. They had been exposed to certain freedoms unknown of via social networks. Social networks effectively opened the eyes of the Middle Eastern youth. All it needed was a spark.

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http://nmsyria.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/role-of-social-media-in-the-arab-spring-2/