Social Media and Internet: New Weapon or New Tool?
On Wednesday, we watched the film called #ChicagoGirl which shows the critical roles of Facebook in the revolution against the current Syrian regime. Social media has shown the public its usefulness in sustaining revolution and spreading beliefs.
We now have the ability to instantly connect minds across the globe through our fingertips and one tiny screen. In the blink of an eye, we can also access encyclopedic information, view instant live feeds, and address international social causes simply by sharing photos or signing petitions. The rise of social media has created a world in which regular people on the street can create headlines with 140 characters or less. It’s an immeasurable power.
Similar to the Chicago girl’s story, high school students have turn social media into a weapon towards the politician and the political discourse.
That does not mean that it’s not subject to abuse. Governments and terrorists also have the same access to the network that enable the victims’ sound to be heard. However, it also could serve as a tool for domination and spreading terror. Since the Arab Spring, we’ve seen many countries intensifying social media censorship or even shutting down social media during times of unrest. In the past few years, we are also continuously being reminded of the existence of ISIS with their propagandas on the social media.
How would social media be used in a social revolution in 10 years? I don’t know. But I hope it would be used as tools to spread justice and weapons towards the evils.
