Ideas are known to spread quicker when there exists densely connected social networks. Any tools that may increase this density of social linking are paramount to the desire for change and the contagion of this desire. The greater the number of times people hear a message and more individuals experience others perceptions of events and along with the associated emotions the more likely they are to take action with regard to the transmuted desire change. This these ideas were demonstrated in the Egyptian Revolution which was a peaceful protest which none-the-less had the power to unseat then President Mubarak, forcing his resignation. Social media contributed to the Egyptian revolution in three ways, through vertical threshold, horizontal expansion and compounding effects (Bhuiyan).
Vertical threshold was achieved primarily through a Facebook page created to honor the memory of Khaled Said, who had been brutally beaten and killed by the police. The Egyptian population has relatively little access to social media in comparison to the U.S. In fact, there are only about 21 million users across the entire Arab world. Yet this memorial Facebook page quickly became the central focus for the growing dissidence experienced by the Egyptian people. This was demonstrated by the 470,000 fans of the page. Additionally, over half a million people viewed a YouTube video about Said’s murder which increased fervor and outrage.
Horizontal expansion occurred when social media helped align people across age groups and social class around shared values serving to expand those who participated in the revolution from what were primarily young students to doctors, lawyers, women, Christians and ultimately State TV employees. The realization of shared values trumped President Mubarak’s efforts to separated Egyptian and foreign support for the protestors. Almost constant Tweets, Facebook posts and You Tube videos provided transparency enabling the Egyptian media to be able to quickly present up to the minute coverage worldwide. Similarly, compounding effects occurred in not just across Egypt but in outside countries including Tunisia, Syria, Algeria and China. This created increased density by spreading stories of courageous acts and counteracting attempts by repressive governments to spread propaganda (Eltantawy & Wiest).
- Eltantawy, Nahed, and Julie B. Wiest. “The Arab spring| Social media in the Egyptian revolution: reconsidering resource mobilization theory.” International Journal of Communication 5 (2011): 18. Print.
- Bhuiyan, Serajul I. “Social media and its effectiveness in the political reform movement in Egypt.” Middle East Media Educator 1.1 (2011): 14-20. Print.
