The effects of (social) media on revolutions - Perspectives from Egypt and the Arab spring

Abstract

The Arab Spring has been titled as "social media revolution". While there is no doubt that Facebook and twitter contributed significantly to the course of events, its role can only be understood when put into a broader technological and historical context. Therefore, we looked at the role of technology during prior revolutions such as the French Revolution in 1789. It turns out that media technology has played an important supportive role in social and political movements throughout history. The changing characteristic, however, has always been the speed of information diffusion. Therefore, it is concluded that social media should be seen as supportive but not exclusively responsible for the events of the Arab Spring. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.