The document examines the role of social media in political change and human rights. It discusses both perspectives that see social media as a catalyst for activism during events like the Arab Spring, allowing eyewitness accounts to spread, as well as perspectives that see it as "slactivism" that distracts from real activism. The document also notes social media can be used for government oppression but may also have unprecedented benefits by connecting people globally for activism.

1. SOCIAL MEDIA, POLITICAL
CHANGE, AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Sarah Joseph
(2012)

2. So what’s it about?
The role of social media in progressive political
change is examined
•“Does social media deserve the plaudits it has
received?” (p146)
•Arab Spring Uprisings 2011 – “Twitter Revolutions”
??
– Was Twitter’s role in the uprisings THAT instrumental
to their success?
*IT WAS A CATALYST FOR ACTION*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6S8iQ5KSkU

3. Malcolm Gladwell & The Skeptics
• “SLACTIVISM” (p150)
• “Facebook activism succeeds not by motivating
people to make a real sacrifice but by motivating
them to do the things people do when they’re not
motivated enough to make a real sacrifice” (p150)
• It distracts people from “real” activism > DELUSION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

4. A QUICK MOMENT ON KONY 2012
(and social media)
• We like to make fun of KONY. And Facebook.
And Twitter.
A lot.
• WE are sitting in a world renowned,
democratically free educational institution
• It is my democratic right to tell you this
• It is your democratic right to listen (or not)
• Do we take this for granted?

5. Clay Shirky & The Believers
• FORMATION OF WELL-CONSIDERED POLITICAL THOUGHT:
1. ACCESS TO INFORMATION
2. USE OF THAT INFORMATION IN CONVERSTAION AND DEBATE
• “Social media has revolutionized how people form political opinions and
has made information so widely accessible that more people than ever
are able to develop considered points of view” (p152)
• EYEWITNESS ACOUNTS: “Reporting is no longer confined to traditional sources like
journalism”
– “Information is spreading faster and farther… [it has] allowed us to see into
many parts of the world that were previously shrouded by oppressive
governments or geographical boundaries” (p153)

6. • “Anyone in the vicinity of an event with audacity
and a camera can document brutality and spread
it on the internet” (p153)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MgCziE-Qxg

7. ETHAN ZUCKERMAN’S CUTE CAT THEORY OF DIGITAL ACTIVISM

8. THE FORCES OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS
(Morozov)
A facilitator of pro-democratic revolution?
or
A tool of oppression?
•GPS systems on internet used to track dissidents in Iran and Belarus
•‘Friend’ connections can unravel entire dissident networks rather than just
one person
•Data-mining sensitive keywords
•Facial Recognition
•“Personalization” (p169)

9. PLEASE WAKE UP.
• Log onto Facebook
• Grab a pen and paper
• Write down 3 to 5 people you ‘stalk’
• Write down 3 to 5 ‘things’ you do on the
internet (online shopping, health and fitness blogs,
travel/accomodation, celebrity gossip, music)
NOTICE ANYTHING INTERESTING?

10. CENSORSHIP
it’s a fine line..
“Even violence is sometimes legitimate, as in the case of
proportionate self-defense against a government crackdown, as
may have occurred in Libya and Syria” (p181)
QUESTION:
In such situations, should social media companies remove pages
that advocate fighting back against a violent regime?
Where and when can we make this exception?

11. “Just because you can mobilize a hundred
million people on Twitter… does not mean that
you should” (Morozov, p187)
“Just as social media can coordinate legitimate
and profound political mobilization, it can
undoubtedly play a role in provoking mayhem”
(p174)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=k7H02HSip_c&feature=fvwrel

12. CONCLUSIONS
“Perhaps Gladwell’s skepticism over the
revolutionary potential of social media is correct
with regard to the developed world” (p186)
BUT
“The increase of unfiltered connections
between people of different cultural, political,
and economic outlooks is likely to have some
unprecedented and beneficial consequences
for…global activism” (p186)