Social Media: Catalyst for Political Change
Thursday, February 17th, 2011By Severin Skolrud
After 30 years of poverty and corruption, Egyptians have successfully ousted President Mubarak. The revolt has spurred neighboring countries to follow. Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and several more governments are experiencing backlash from displeased citizens. Numerous protestors have lost their lives fighting for their beliefs, yet the revolts continue.
Many are wondering how these protests have been so successfully executed? Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks have played a huge role in motivating, organizing, and sharing digital files worldwide. In Egypt, a Google Marketing Executive named Wael Ghonim used Twitter and Facebook to communicate with thousands of Egyptians to take a stand against Mubarak. After the protest proved successful, Egyptian authorities arrested Ghonim only to release him weeks later after pressure began to build concerning the reasons behind his arrest.











