The Effects of Social Media on Democracy in Egypt - Essay Example

The effects of social media on democracy in Egypt Introduction The instances of social unrest in most Arab countries raised eyebrows all over the world, and political scientists continue to point to many aspects that may have led to the phenomenon. The riots started in Tunisia, Egypt was not an exception because this wave of riots spread and affected the country. This social unrest in Egypt can be linked to the widespread globalization and the spread of technology in this particular generation. The usage of the internet and the social media in particular has been tremendously rising and it is undoubtedly that it had a big role to play in the facilitation and the success of the democratic efforts in Egypt. Literature review Social movement activism People have always made efforts to liberate themselves from the fetuses of oppression and submissive rule. In the enhancement of democracy, it is evident that people have sought collective action strategies to achieve democracy. There are a number of studies on this aspect, and in light of the Egyptian efforts to achieve democracy. Researchers note that the struggle to obtain democracy can take place in three forms, through protests, collective action or contention (Gelvin 201). The protest actions are an expression of widespread discontentment with the current political discourse that makes people go to the streets and advocate for what they believe. On the other hand, collective action is a situation where the masses have a shared interest, with which they seek to rally and advocate for its adoption and act on its behalf (MacQueen 37). Finally, contention involves a more comprehensive approach, where a group or section of the population make claims on certain interests that will affect the wider population. The fight for democracy in Egypt can be assessed in the context of the three political struggles and research proves that effective social ties were a major motivation towards the success of efforts to restore democracy. On this platform, it is evident that individual awareness is important for political struggles as well as social ties that facilitate the spread of such awareness (Noland, and Pack 68). Dense social networks are a great motivation towards establishment of well ties and are the route towards the mobilization of populations (Harper 145). This means that effective networks bridge the gap of information in political struggles and strengthens the interpersonal ties that define the extent of bonding within particular groups of people (Anna 42). It is clear that most modern dictators employ the use of high technology systems to consolidate their power against the subordinates (Marshall and Gordon, 19). Political scientists argue that the establishment of mechanisms that drive people to join social movements is crucial to counter such tendencies, and it is important that the analysis of the effects that social media on the journey towards democracy in countries be done (Mcluhan, 108). In perspective, (Hall 68) contends that mechanisms of social movements formation help to bridge the boundary between the citizens and the political details of the country that they live. In this perspective, the concept of collective bargaining is also owed to the existence of good networks, where public officials can interact with the people to foster understanding (Magill, and Delgado 443). The nature of conversations is also an important factor in the formulation of social movements, to the extent that the information passed between people determines their understanding and reaction (Schmidt 56). In this light, a mode of communication that incorporates aspects of compartmentalization is pointed out as the most effective in the formation of connections between people. Compartmentalization allows the population to fit into different identities that can be mobilized to rise to the occasion (Andersen, and Gray 117). For example, the youth are moved by some level of information that seeks to address their concerns within particular populations. The social media sites gained prominence in Egypt and made the masses to demand for democracy within this context. In perspective, however, the effect of social media as a tool for social mobilization has been investigated in its effect is positive or negative (Andersen, and Gray 113). In this light, studies note that although the social media networks are important in relaying useful information to the media, which leads to positive social activism, there are serious negative consequences associated with the spread of the social media (MacQueen 38). This in particular points out to the unregulated nature of the social media, which makes it vulnerable for misuse and spread of confusing and distracting information. Further, the social media replace the true activism of public democracy struggles, which embrace face-to-face open communication. In the context of the Arab Spring however, it is clear that the two strategies can be very effective and would lead to achievement of any goals that the public hope to achieve from the activism (Bryfonski 67). In the context of a politically repressive environment, it is evident that social media networks mobilize without people going to riot, which mostly ends up with casualties because of retaliatory government efforts. Noland and Pack (43) contend that the evolution of media has reduced the initial costs of public rallying and the efforts to achieve democracy, by breaking communication barriers, interlinking the ideas of likeminded people and providing avenues through which exchange of political ideas could take place. In these kind of platforms, it is evident that many people are able to express their thoughts and the voice of many is heard, who would have otherwise feared victimization or reproach by the government (Schmidt 107). These efforts were evident in the political struggle witnessed in both Egypt and Tunisia, where information by anti-government individuals quickly spread across the country from a very small number of individuals who were discontented with the current regime. (Schmidt 114) reckons that the influence of the media is tremendous and can go trans-nationally from one country to the other, as witnessed in the Arab Spring. Social media and the Green Movement In understanding the critical role played by the social media in the mobilization of the masses, it is important to briefly assess its effect on the green movement. In the attempts to fight for democracy in Iran, the power of communication through the social media was apparent (Moy and Pfau 98). The Green Movement was a faction that re-erupted presidential elections in Iran, where the incumbent president Mahmud Ahmedinejad was declared the winner (Bryfonski 45) At the protests, thousands of people turned out in the streets chanting similar slogans that refuted the results of the election. At one of the popular posts on the social media at the time, the Green Movement pointed to a video of a young woman who was killed by government forces (Gelvin 212). The video was available on YouTube and Twitter, and the reactions from the posts were undoubtedly tremendous. It is clear that western powers were in full support of the protesters because of the comments that were posted on the site (Levy, and Gurevitch 299). The fight for democracy at this point was evident and could not be stopped because the public mobilization technique was not physical. The impacts of the spread of social media in Iran were evidently one of the key pillars of the Green revolution (Harper 167). This spread was because of the penetration and success of the expansion of the internet and phones in the country. According to (Harper 188), these liberation technologies served the purpose of mass mobilization and participation in the fight for democracy. Technology has spread to Iran in the last decade, where more than 60,000 blogs were in operation during the political uprising, and the Facebook users at the time grew by a considerable percentage. In context, it is also evident that the western media used the social media sites extensively to cover the happenings in Iran (Hall 72). The increased use of tweets that were transmitted from Iran by foreign media evidently increased the activism and awareness of the international community on the events that characterized the journey towards democracy (Hall 79). Reports indicate that although the government tried to inhibit the use of the internet to relay information, the Iranians were undeterred in their efforts to communicate and send information especially to the observers in the west. As to whether the information relayed via social media was helpful or not is subject to debate. From the fact that no tangible changes in democracy in Iran, the messages sent through social media can be translated to have been ineffective (Levy, and Gurevitch 301). (Miller 311) contends that the examination of these results is, however subjective, owing to the different translations of the happenings in the country after the crisis as well as other related events in the Arab Spring. Social media and democracy in Egypt Social movements indicate the establishment of collective groups of people who delve to find new courses of life, which comprises of both lower class and high-class citizens (Bryfonski 77). With this understanding, social media uprising in Egypt was an exemplification of social movement. This is because the masses were mobilized to pursue better orders of life irrespective of the social class (Meyrowitz 229). The mobilization took place in a controlled environment, which led to the realization of points through which both the poor and the rich in the country. In the Egyptian context, it was evident that the internet provides a space where the public could provide their critique through communicative power abilities (Levy, and Gurevitch 306). Breaking away from political dogmatism, it was evident that the Egyptian community had fund a means of pursuing their rights through means that were both legally accessible and cost effective (Andersen, and Gray 122). Political activists note that at this age, the public demands are tremendous and they expect more services and participation than it was in the earlier days. Although critics point out to other pertinent factors in the political struggle for democracy in Egypt, it is evident that the social media and its evolving effects continued to offer better ways for the public to express themselves and provide opportunities for information to flow from one person to the other (Mcluhan, 177). The impact of globalization on Egypt Improved liberalization and freedom of expression One of the most profound effects of increased globalization and development of the internet is freedom of expression and mobilization. In 2011, the riots to oust Mubarak were staged in Egypt, and the government was quick to withdraw the licenses of many broadcasting stations as well as journalists. However, many people were undeterred by these developments and went over the internet to voice their rights. There was a rift between the government and its people and social media sites were the only options for citizens to put their concerns across. In retrospect, Facebook and Twitter are the most popular sites in the country and were utilized extensively to mobilize and achieve democracy in Egypt. In a show of the prowess of Facebook in mobilization was the call for protests on January 25th, where people turned out in large numbers in the Tahrir square to protest against the government. The effects of social media and globalization promoted the journey towards the realization of democracy in Egypt. The constructive and uniting ability of social media From the study, it is evident that social media helps people to form their own identities in order to grapple the issues in the society. This is the idea of networked individualism, which was seen to unite various people and contribute to their ability to stand for their rights. It is plausible to state that social media and the extent of globalization was important and united people through the connectivity of ideas and thoughts in the march towards their freedom. The notion of public sphere It is clear that social media has formed a sphere where people can express their ideas and thoughts without fears. The globalization effect made Egyptians realize they had a bloated future if the current government would still be in power. Realizing the power of social media, many people turned to the sites for information and redress. It is evident that the globalization effects shaped the political landscape and democracy. Further, it is evident that the use of the internet was the main contributor towards a peaceful transition to a democratic era because there were very few instances of physical confrontation and not hierarchically motivated (Mcluhan, 201). Increased interaction and exchange of practices From the analysis, it is evident that social media increase communication between people of different races and cultures in Egypt and around the world. This is a great trend towards exchange of ideas and techniques of doing things. The ease of communication made the Egyptians realizes that they had the power to oust their government and pursue democracy in the country. This led to the change in thoughts and psychology of citizens who were subjected to political dogmatism by the regime. Proposals for courses of action Control of social media Although the study focuses on the positive aspects of globalization, the subject has negative effects if not contained, which may reproach any efforts made. It is recommended that the governments control the spread of erroneous propaganda or information that could harm the society. Increased participation of citizens in their government It is evident that social media increases the interconnectivity of people, and governments should use the sites to learn what the people need. From the Egyptian case, it is evident that the citizens may decide to use the social media to free themselves if they feel oppressed. Incorporate technology to counter internet censorship It is necessary for technology to be invented to counter the attempts of authoritarian governments to censor populations from accessing the internet. In the analysis, restrictions to spread information are the main hindrances in mobilizing people to get their rights and democracy. Expansion of internet access The coverage of the internet should be expanded to reach more people. It is important that information should be relayed at times when there are protests to as many people as possible. Finally, it is important that such an expansion provide an arena of sharing information for the public. Works Cited Andersen, Robin, and Jonathan Gray. Battleground: The Media. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2010. Print. Bryfonski, Dedria. The Global Impact of Social Media. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Print. Gelvin, James L. The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone Needs to Know. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print. Hall, Mark C. Africa: In Defiance of Democracy. New York, N.Y: Films Media Group, 2012. Print. Harper, Tauel. Democracy in the Age of New Media: The Politics of the Spectacle. New York: Peter Lang, 2011. Print. 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