Living in America for my entire life, I have never felt the need to protest the United States government. That is to say I have never felt a strong negative emotion towards our government that would constitute actively protesting it. However, when I look at revolutions happening all over the world, such as in Egypt, I can’t help but feel a lack of responsibility. Children even younger than myself are rising up against their own government because they are unhappy the way they are being treated. Standing up for what you believe in, even in the face of death, is a very admirable trait in my mind.
The Egyptian people simply got fed up with the way the government controlled the country so they realized that wishing for change simply wasn’t enough, they had to act. Through protests and the social media, the Egyptian people made their desire known to the entire world, and people from the corners of the globe got behind them. Media also served as a form of communication for the protesters; a way to plan rallies and marches amongst themselves. In just an instant, they could organize where to meet and how to act. Without social media it would be fair to say that the revolution would not have been nearly as effective or organized.
The Egyptian government soon recognized the Internet’s ability to quickly transmit information as a weapon, and shut it down. However, it was too late. The world had already learned of exactly what was going on in Egypt and people urged their governments to intervene. Just by simply getting the message out onto the Internet for all to see was enough to spark a revolution. That is the power of social media, it has the power to start and end wars.
The Egyptian people simply got fed up with the way the government controlled the country so they realized that wishing for change simply wasn’t enough, they had to act. Through protests and the social media, the Egyptian people made their desire known to the entire world, and people from the corners of the globe got behind them. Media also served as a form of communication for the protesters; a way to plan rallies and marches amongst themselves. In just an instant, they could organize where to meet and how to act. Without social media it would be fair to say that the revolution would not have been nearly as effective or organized.
The Egyptian government soon recognized the Internet’s ability to quickly transmit information as a weapon, and shut it down. However, it was too late. The world had already learned of exactly what was going on in Egypt and people urged their governments to intervene. Just by simply getting the message out onto the Internet for all to see was enough to spark a revolution. That is the power of social media, it has the power to start and end wars.