Friday, May 18th, 2012
Nathan Goldberg on how social media has a remarkable effect on frightening authoritarian regimes fighting the people’s desire for change against the tyranny and cruelty.
Social media is said to have played a major part in sustaining revolution throughout the Arab countries ruled by authoritarian regimes. Now tyrants can no longer hide behind a wall of silence when the roar of the crowd kicks in.
However, there is a debate about how effective the social media is. I think the jury’s in and has decided. But other important voices would say that is jumping the gun somewhat.
One of the leading sceptics of the power of the social media, mainly Facebook and Twitter, in making any significant change is Malcolm Gladwell, best selling author and social media guru.
In a seminal article in the New Yorker, he said that, yes there was much twittering and facebooking, but we must not get carried away. The links formed were weak tie networks of people sitting on their arses tweeting but not much else.
That is perfectly true but so what? Is Gladwell suggesting they take up arms? The most they can do is make that noise until it penetrates the citadels of powers.
In its parts it may be weak but in its aggregate it is strong. There is no doubt that once the social media swings into action, the noise that comes forth is huge and effective, not in terms of actions by the social media supporters, but what that noise means to those listening.
One of the most remarkable examples of this was Obama’s election victory, it swept him to power against what seemed insurmountable odds.
Once when tyrants could do their evil behind closed doors, now the media looks on, and where the cameras cannot penetrate, the tweets from and to the oppressed are heard throught the world.
There is nothing that a tyrant, and the malodorous leaders of democracies hate, is being held to account in the arena of public opinion.
Gladwell is right, social media cannot replace revolutionary fervour, but it gives it the fuel of encouragement, knowing you are not alone against your authoritarian regime, which apart from you being at your side, is the most important thing that the freedom fighters need and want,
So if you’re sitting now doing some stuff on Facebook or Twitter or wherever, why not make a new friend who is is in the front line. Not only in a revolutionary uprising but perhaps just trying to survive and help us others do so in places like Darfur and Ethiopia.
If the social media means anything in human terms, it means that.
Do you feel the roar of the social media crowd is important or that though well intentioned it is just hot air. Comments welcome.
Nathan Goldberg is CEO and Publisher of wowdewow. You can follow him on TWITTER to stay abreast of all that’s trending in the social media world.
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Tags: arab countries, authoritarian regimes, citadels of power, closed doors, darfur, debate, encouragement, ethiopia., freedom fighters, jumping the gun, leaders of democracies, leading sceptic, malcolm gladwell, new yorker, obama's election victory, public opinion, revolutionary fervour, roar of the crowd, sustaining revolution, tyranny and cruelty, weak tie networks
