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Social media has been redefining the way we communicate with each other. Beyond creating simple dialogues, it became the broadcasting tool for the average person to spread news, promote brands and share real-time events. It has the power of reaching millions of people regardless of distance and immediately receiving feedback. Last week as I was writing this article, the horrible 9.0 magnitude quake and disastrous tsunami hit northeast Japan. CNN and BBC were showing the same images of the first gigantic waves that wiped out entire villages with houses, cars and farmlands.
So, I searched Twitter for updates: although the disaster had happened an hour ago, hundreds of people from different parts of the world were united with prayers for Japan. People relied on twitter to share and receive information and even to relocate their loved ones in the most affected areas.
This communication platform has transformed itself into a living mechanism that empowers people to unite under similar ideals. The revolution in Egypt is the greatest example of this collective strength. As the Google exec, Wael Ghonim puts it during his talk at TED: ‘This is the revolution of 2.0. No one was a hero because everyone was a hero. Small or large, everyone contributed to stop the old regime and liberate themselves.’
The fear driven dictatorship of Mubarek used force to disconnect people. Although people wanted to change, they were afraid of getting in trouble and they weren’t sure how the other Egyptians thought. They obeyed the rules and remained silent. However, there was a growing tension against low quality of life and human right violations that signaled the beginning of the end. They had to do something… The solution lied within the internet enabled technology. Egyptians could voice their opinions anonymously and resist against the suppressing regime by reconnecting with each other and collaborating for the same causes. Social media became a resistence platform where like minds meet and strategize to gain back their freedom.
One vivid example was the killing of Khaled Saeed in June 2010. Khaled Saeed was a middle class guy who was brutally tortured to death. He became the image of the Egyptians – who could have been one’s son, the other’s brother or husband. Although the government showed him as a criminal, the truth was evident on the internet: everyone knew that he was one of the Egyptians, who resisted the authorities in the name of justice.
A webpage was created in his name, where tens of thousands of people joined immediately and shared their ideas on this act of violence. The amazing thing was that everyone felt ownership over the page. They discussed ideas, planned actions in the virtual sphere and then executed these actions in real life. Everything was done by the people for the people, and that was the genuine power of the Internet. There was no leader. The leader was everyone posting on that page. After the Tunisian revolution, the social group thought that it was time to go to streets to protest. The streets on the 25th of January was the very proof of this virtual work turning into a nationwide movement. It was the movement of people seeking freedom without a leader.
Most of the time there are very basic goals behind a revolution like fighting poverty, suppression and injustice. Regardless of their political views or socio-economic stands, people would be willing to pursue these goals. Social media is especially effective in communicating simple yet powerful ideals in an interactive medium. Simple ideas turn into large concepts that drive millions of people.
According to Wired.com, Facebook and Twitter had different roles in shaping Egypt’s revolution: While Facebook helped to organize the activists within the country, Twitter broadcasted the messages out the outside world. Twitter also played the role of transmitting hope among Arab nations.
If a movement in social media could lead the masses in the streets and overthrow a 30 year dictator, it is not hard to believe that one can easily use a small percentage of this power in making his/her dreams come true…
Ela Erozan Gürsel writes a weekly column named “Değişim Yelpazesi ” on global business trends for Dünya Gazetesi on behalf of Datassist for almost two years. Her feature topics include: green energy; climate change; impacts of financial crisis on companies, sectors and regions; innovative technologies in sciences, human resources and management; social networks transforming business and politics; changing dynamics of marketing and branding.
She also writes articles for international magazines published in Singapore.
Prior to her writing career, she worked at Datassist as a Project Manager in a project that combines human resources and mobile communications with the aim to connect blue-collar workers and employers through mobile phones. Before engaging in this exciting project, she was in pharmaceutical sales working for a multinational company. She graduated from American University, Washington, DC, majoring in International Studies with a concentration on International Business and Europe. She worked in Washington D.C. as an Account Manager at a boutique telemarketing firm that specializes in fund raising and publication renewals. She speaks Turkish, English, French, and Spanish. She currently resides in Singapore with her husband.
