Twitter, Facebook role in civil strife overhyped
September 22nd, 2011 - 1:25 pm ICT by IANS
Washington, Sep 22 (IANS) Despite media hype about messaging and social networks being powerful new tools, they may not be as beneficial or as robust as suggested.
People have used Twitter, Facebook and text messaging, both as tools for freedom and for repression in recent strife in Egypt and Kenya, said Brandie Martin, graduate student in mass communications at Penn State University who led the study.
“The key word is ‘tool’,” said Martin. “The depiction that these revolutions are caused by technology is an over-generalization.”
When anti-government protests erupted in Egypt Jan 25 this year, citizens began to use blogs, text messaging and social networks to spread information critical of the current government, according to a Penn statement.
Around 56,000 Egyptians became members of a Facebook page about the movement and approximately 15,000 citizens used Twitter accounts to find and spread information about the protests.
However, the government, led by then president Hosni Mubarak, quickly cracked down on bloggers and took over internet and text messaging services, said Martin, who worked with Anthony Olorunnisola, associate professor of communications.
Key mobile network operators, such as Vodafone, Mobinil and Etisalat, honoured the government request and suspended service. Pro-government forces continued to send text and internet messages for their cause.
“President Mubarak used the services to send out pro-Mubarak messages,” Martin said.
However, internet service providers outside Egypt, for example, helped Egyptians use the Speak 2 Tweet function, an application created by Google, Twitter and SayNow that turns voice calls into Twitter updates.
Martin said the cause of and reaction to the turmoil in Kenya in 2008 contrasts with the Egyptian response in several ways. Unrest in Kenya was divided along ethnic and tribal lines.
Text messaging was used not necessarily to rally unity, but to broadcast “hate speech” messages, inciting violence against members of opposing tribes. Nearly 1,500 Kenyans died in the violence, according to Martin. These findings were presented at a workshop in Washington.
- Egypt Shuts Down Internet Amidst Rising Political Unrest And Protests - Jan 28, 2011
- Million people to march in Cairo, army will not use force (Lead) - Feb 01, 2011
- March of a million: Protesters converge in Cairo (Second Lead) - Feb 01, 2011
- Egypt court fines Mubarak, two ex-ministers $90 mn - May 28, 2011
- Summer of social networking in Kashmir - Feb 23, 2011
- Egypt government offers talk with opposition - Feb 01, 2011
- Wary of Egypt crisis repeat, Cuba cracks down on Internet opposition movements - Feb 11, 2011
- Egyptian authorities 'shut down' the Internet, suspend mobile services - Jan 28, 2011
- March of a million in Cairo to dislodge Mubarak (Third Lead) - Feb 01, 2011
- Egyptian Government's Crackdown On Communication Medium Condemned Globally - Jan 29, 2011
- Protesters flood Cairo square, Mubarak warns of chaos (Roundup) - Feb 04, 2011
- Libya blocks Internet to stifle information about insurrection - Mar 05, 2011
- Twitter buzzes with news of Mubarak's exit - Feb 12, 2011
- Egyptian man names daughter Facebook to mark revolt - Feb 21, 2011
- Unrest swells in Egypt as cornered government bans Al-Jazeera (Roundup) - Jan 30, 2011
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