Egypt & New Media

While much can be said about the recent events in Egypt, one pivotal aspect has been the role of technology and new media. One of the defining moments of these protests (though that hardly seems like a descriptive enough word for what has been occurring) is when Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak cut off his country's Internet and wireless services. This early move by President Mubarak shows just how much of a threat social networking poses to leaders trying to suppress their people. As was shown in the recent events in Tunisia and the events in Iran of over a year ago, social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, have become the great mobilizer of the people, especially the youth. While activists in Egypt are eager to use tools like Facebook to advance their message and action, their is also a sense of caution that should be exercised. As easy as these tools can be used to mobilize people, they can just as easily be used by governments to gain information about their citizens.

Mary Naset