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ICT , Social Media, and the A rab Transition to Democracy: From Venting to Acting
Author(s) -
Aman Mohammed M.,
Jayroe Tina J.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
digest of middle east studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.225
H-Index - 10
eISSN - 1949-3606
pISSN - 1060-4367
DOI - 10.1111/dome.12024
Subject(s) - democracy , social media , language change , communication source , political science , authoritarianism , rab , political economy , information and communications technology , media studies , sociology , engineering , law , telecommunications , politics , art , literature , gtpase , biochemistry , chemistry
Abstract There is widespread use of information and communications technology ( ICT ) in the M iddle E ast and N orth A frican countries. Blogging and social media have played an important role in the recent calls for reform and change. Using these new communication systems and devices, citizens have been venting their anger and frustration with their autocratic governments and rulers. Most recently, the venting has turned into action, as shown by the eradication of the old regimes in T unisia, E gypt, L ibya, and Y emen, as well as the ongoing struggle in S yria. The most notable issues include lack of individual freedoms, deteriorating economic conditions, high unemployment, increased corruption, and violent treatment of citizens at the hands of security forces. The A rab S pring, or A wakening, and the events that have since followed have, in part, been promoted by ICT and other means of modern communications. Along with the popular A rab traditions of oral communication as well as F riday and S unday sermons at mosques and churches, social media were used by organizers of the A rab S pring to call for and coordinate demonstrations against the regimes. Access to this newer media has circumvented the established and government‐controlled media such as printed press, radio, and television—outlets bent on appeasing the rulers and misinforming the masses. A rab authoritarian systems have discovered that they cannot simply flip a big red switch to stop the flow of information that they would rather keep hidden from the masses. Further discussed are digital democracies that are currently emerging because of the growing population of netizens, bloggers, and social media political activists throughout the A rab world and the many attempts to silence them.