The Role of Social Networks in Revolutions
The Role of Social Media in Revolutions
Otabek N Musoev
KIMEP University
Research Proposal
Today social networks are very popular tools for people, especially for teenagers, to keep in touch, share photos, videos and messages. Recent events in the Middle East and Northern Africa got me interested because in the forums all around the World Wide Web people represent the controversial versions about if the Arab Spring was caused by social media. The topic of my paper is the role social networks play in revolutions. In this paper I am going to conduct research on the role of social media during revolutions. I especially will consider actions countries take to avoid the social media revolution such as in Arab countries. The aim of this essay is to provide information about the importance of social media during the revolutions.
Today naming children after revolutionary faces and heroes is not a surprise, but it is really new for me to hear about a child named after a social network. Jamal Ibrahim, an Egyptian, was so inspired by the role of social media in recent Middle East revolutions that he gave his daughter the name “Facebook”. To explain giving such an unusual name to his daughter, Jamal Ibrahim says that the Facebook played a really great role in keeping people connected during revolt (The University of Virginia Magazine, 2011).
Facebook is an ordinary social network where the user can add new friends to a friendlist. Friends on Facebook can follow each other’s posts and publications. The user of Facebook has his own blog which can be followed by friends and subscribers. Usually the information is spread by sharing it by other users and pressing “like” button. The key feature of Facebook is that everyone who uses it can create his own page and be its administrator. The administrator can add any information he wants to his page and post blogs and other content.
Otabek N Musoev
KIMEP University
Research Proposal
Today social networks are very popular tools for people, especially for teenagers, to keep in touch, share photos, videos and messages. Recent events in the Middle East and Northern Africa got me interested because in the forums all around the World Wide Web people represent the controversial versions about if the Arab Spring was caused by social media. The topic of my paper is the role social networks play in revolutions. In this paper I am going to conduct research on the role of social media during revolutions. I especially will consider actions countries take to avoid the social media revolution such as in Arab countries. The aim of this essay is to provide information about the importance of social media during the revolutions.
Today naming children after revolutionary faces and heroes is not a surprise, but it is really new for me to hear about a child named after a social network. Jamal Ibrahim, an Egyptian, was so inspired by the role of social media in recent Middle East revolutions that he gave his daughter the name “Facebook”. To explain giving such an unusual name to his daughter, Jamal Ibrahim says that the Facebook played a really great role in keeping people connected during revolt (The University of Virginia Magazine, 2011).
Facebook is an ordinary social network where the user can add new friends to a friendlist. Friends on Facebook can follow each other’s posts and publications. The user of Facebook has his own blog which can be followed by friends and subscribers. Usually the information is spread by sharing it by other users and pressing “like” button. The key feature of Facebook is that everyone who uses it can create his own page and be its administrator. The administrator can add any information he wants to his page and post blogs and other content.
References: Death of Khaled Mohamed Saeed. (2011). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Khaled_Mohamed_Saeed Fallows, J Fountain, R., & Rogers, W. (2011, October 3). China’s Arab Spring cyber lessons. Stepanova, E. (2011, May). The role of information communication technologies in the “Arab Spring”. PONARS Eurasia, (Policy memo No. 159). Retrieved from http://www.gwu.edu/~ieresgwu/assets/docs/ponars/pepm_159.pdf Taylor, K Wong, E. (2011, December 16). Beijing imposes new rules on social networking sites. The New York Times, p. A9. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/world/asia/beijing-imposes-new-rules-on-social-networking-sites.html Addenda