Did social media have a big impact in the Bahraini uprising during the Arab spring - Essay Example

The Arab Spring was a term coined for the wave of revolutionary uprisings experienced in the Arab World from late December 2010. The wave of revolution took the form of protests and demonstrations that were either violent or non-violent in nature, coupled with civil wars and continuous riots. The wave of revolutions targeted the removal of leaders from power for different reasons that included oppression, nepotism, and system failures. The protests were witnessed in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Tunisia with major cases of civil uprising being witnessed in Syria and Bahrain (Behr & Aaltola, 2011).

The protests experienced in the Arab countries had some shared elements that led to sustenance of civil resistance including demonstrations, use of social media, strikes, rallies and increased marches. The use of social media stood out as the major form of communication and creation of awareness in facing state control in the form of internet censorship (Safranek, 2012). The uprising witnessed in Bahrain commenced on February 14, 2011 with varied demands. The uprising has been ongoing with several concessions being achieved that include the release of political captives, removal of the head of security from office, increased negotiations with rebel movements including Shia representatives, GCC intervention following a request by the country’s government, implementation of BICI recommendations, and several economic gains under the watch of King Hamad.

The uprising led to many deaths at the early stages with the incarceration of thousands of people by the close of April 2012. The choice of this article is informed by its in-depth analysis of the Bahraini uprising regarding the contribution of the social media in promoting the uprising amidst strong government interference and intervention. Cottle (2011) addresses the role played by communication networks and media systems in the facilitation of what are