New study quantifies use of social media in Arab Spring
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - 15:31
in Psychology & Sociology
In the 21st century, the revolution may not be televised but it likely will be tweeted, blogged, texted and organized on Facebook, recent experience suggests. After analyzing more than 3 million tweets, gigabytes of YouTube content and thousands of blog posts, a new study finds that social media played a central role in shaping political debates in the Arab Spring. Conversations about revolution often preceded major events, and social media has carried inspiring stories of protest across international borders.