Social media as a catalyst for activist movements is an idea that has become normalized. I’m not surprised when a blog that is shared on Facebook becomes a movement actively supported around me. A few instances that illustrate this would be the ALS awareness challenges, the Mike Brown riots, and even the Trayvon Martin activist movements. These issues gained support like wildfire due to social media’s ability to reach the youth and a vast world wide audience. In Manuel Castells’ Networks of Outrage and Hope: Social Movements in the Internet Age, there is a chapter entitled Dignity, Violence, and Geopolitics: the Arab Uprisings takes the idea stated before and suggests a connection between the function of media and the Arab Uprisings.
At first his connections seem to be following a slippery slope format that loosely connects these ideas in a confident manner, however slowly Castell presented legitimate evidence that supported his claims. Being that the Arab world was in the middle of a social media rise despite the high underemployment and unemployment rates displays just how connected to the media the Arab societies are. Castell suggest that this access to Social media allowed for the Arab societies to be ignited by the Egyptian Revolution displayed in on their various media sources. The media then serves as the platform for different societies to be inspired and ignited by the rebellions going on around them. Following the Egyptian Revolution, Arab nation after Arab nation displayed a uprising similar to each other as well at the Egyptian Revolution in format. Castell suggests this is because of the media connection.
It would be easy to begin to believe that Castell is just pulling a “blame the media” weapon; however, Castell is very careful to state that he is not arguing that the media caused the Arab Uprisings. There are many different beginnings and individual inspirations for an uprising just as the location and situation determines the outcomes, but the media plays an active role. He goes on with many examples to explain how the media plays such an active role in communication, inspiration, and organization. I appreciate that Castell recognizes this perception that can be produces from his claims, because it honestly saves this written piece.
Another point I found interesting was the concept that the media brought autonomy from the government which led to many uprisings. This concept is a reoccurring theme about the media. The media gives the users an autonomous freedom that allows individuals to stand up for what they believe and find others who believe the same. It allows individual expression and simultaneously the access to a larger world with more freedoms. Of all the connection Castell tries to make between the media and the Arab uprisings, this is the idea I can clearly support the most.
Castell presents his arguments well, but a lot of the ideas can be taken out of proportion and enlarged. The media’s role in these uprisings may have been very present, but there is a strong warning against making the media the sole cause.
At first his connections seem to be following a slippery slope format that loosely connects these ideas in a confident manner, however slowly Castell presented legitimate evidence that supported his claims. Being that the Arab world was in the middle of a social media rise despite the high underemployment and unemployment rates displays just how connected to the media the Arab societies are. Castell suggest that this access to Social media allowed for the Arab societies to be ignited by the Egyptian Revolution displayed in on their various media sources. The media then serves as the platform for different societies to be inspired and ignited by the rebellions going on around them. Following the Egyptian Revolution, Arab nation after Arab nation displayed a uprising similar to each other as well at the Egyptian Revolution in format. Castell suggests this is because of the media connection.
It would be easy to begin to believe that Castell is just pulling a “blame the media” weapon; however, Castell is very careful to state that he is not arguing that the media caused the Arab Uprisings. There are many different beginnings and individual inspirations for an uprising just as the location and situation determines the outcomes, but the media plays an active role. He goes on with many examples to explain how the media plays such an active role in communication, inspiration, and organization. I appreciate that Castell recognizes this perception that can be produces from his claims, because it honestly saves this written piece.
Another point I found interesting was the concept that the media brought autonomy from the government which led to many uprisings. This concept is a reoccurring theme about the media. The media gives the users an autonomous freedom that allows individuals to stand up for what they believe and find others who believe the same. It allows individual expression and simultaneously the access to a larger world with more freedoms. Of all the connection Castell tries to make between the media and the Arab uprisings, this is the idea I can clearly support the most.
Castell presents his arguments well, but a lot of the ideas can be taken out of proportion and enlarged. The media’s role in these uprisings may have been very present, but there is a strong warning against making the media the sole cause.