In my previous blogpost I
discussed about some of the popular Social Networking sites and a brief history
of these websites. Today I am going to discuss the social impacts of these
websites. So far from the previous discussion we already know that these social
networking sites connected so many people around the world that it is now an
indivisible part for all the computer users around the world.
To discuss the social impact of the
social networking websites we are not required to go far to gather information.
Remember the “ Occupy Wall Street” protest in August,2011. A small group of
protestors expresssing their girevances about economoic inequities started
their protest against corporate corruption and the policy to save these
corporate corruptors. What happened next? Inspired by the populist message
known as “Occupy Wall Street”, more than 200 Facebook pages and Twitter
accounts were created in more than 12 cities seeking volunteers to spread the
message and the protest around the country. About 900 events were set up on
Meetup.com and blog posts and photographs from all over the country were popped
up on the WeArethe99Percent blog on Tumblr from people who see themselves as
the victims of not only the sagging economy but also economic injustice. Through
Facebook pages and Twitter accounts protestors conveyed their message to the
general people and the protest became a movementand everyone knows the rest of
the story.These Facebook and Twitter pages motivated people from all over
United States and the restof the world and hepled the protestors to get united(
New York Times). Why don’t we recall
Arab Spring? Remember what happened in Tahrir Square in early 2011. Egypt’s
Internet activists played a key role to motivate thousands of Egyptians to come
and join their protest in Tahrir Square through sending a Facebook invitation.
To protest the demonstration the then Mubarak government blocked Facebook and
shut down technology. But nothing was good enough to stop this protestors to
get united. Because the social networking media already sent the message of the
protestors to the people who were oppressed by the autocracy of Mubarak
government. The protest was so massive that the autocratic Mubarak government
had to fall through blood shed. As a result Egypt got rid of the steam roller
of Mubarak government and his corruption and the protestors formed a democratic
government through fair election(BBC News). These are some of the instances
where these social medias played a key role to motivate people to get united.
Now it can hardly be denied that
these social networking medias have same importance like print or broadcasting
media. One may or may not watch TV news or Newspaper everyday. But everyone who
has a Facebook or Twitter account, opens their account and notice the updates
from their friends and different group pages at least once everyday. Therefore
it will not be surprising to say that Social Networking Medias are getting more
importance than the traditional news medias.
Sources:
Amr Gharbeia, BBC News, February7,2011
Jennifer Preston, The New York Times, October 8,2011.
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