o one can question that networking technologies, especially social media have not impacted our global society as a whole. I agree with our professor that this notion is not a two-way argument. Even though some scholars remain with the perception that these technologies either solve or do not solve our problems (Ex. Malcolm Gladdwell notes that social media sites do not engender the bonds that allow motivation for serious movements), this notion is actually more nuanced.
As Clay Shirky notes in The political power of social media subtitle: technology the public sphere, and political change, technology will not solve our public diplomacy problems, but it might feed into the objectives and public diplomacy potential. He notes the ability of the public to use social media to coordinate massive and rapid responses and the Internets ability to increase the global networked population.
The notion of social power, global networking, and social media could not be more relevant than with what is currently occurring in the Middle East. The use of social media and global networking in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya are great examples that these networking technologies are not solving the problems of the middle east, but they are being used as a lever to help organize, expedite and propell changes to occur. The social media sites can help drive the uprisings.
Social media sites also allowed people from other parts of the world to help those in the middle east carry out some of these uprising. Emails from The Daily Beasts demonstrated that Facebook took unusual steps to protect the identity of protests leaders during Egypt’s uprising. To me, what is most important out of this notion with Facebook interfering, is that connections are being made from across the globe for people who do not even know each other to help each other; For the ability to allow people to connect and hear each other pleas.
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