Before Twitter had really taken off, the media and television shows kept mentioning it. They would refer to Twitter as if it was something that everyone was already on, which then forced us to ask our self ,"Are we out of the loop?"
I've always wondered why our media forced Twitter on us in this way.
This raises the question for me as to which is right: Did Social Media make a big of an impact on the Arab Spring? or Do we give Social Media sites too much credit?
I'll be the first person to say that I love Social Media. I believe very strongly that Social Media is a powerful globalizing force. It brings people across the world together and connects people in urban areas that would not meet otherwise. It connects us with professionals and amateurs seeking guidance. It does plenty of good in our modern world.
However, I do believe that it has been given far too much credit for the Arab Revolts. The temperature was right for revolution and it would have occurred with or without Social Media. Social Media was simply one of many mobilizing forces. It helped to organize meet up point and to publicize the revolution, but further than that it did not do more than sparking an interest among the population that it was concerned with.
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