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Lawrence Wang

Executive Director, TEDtoChina

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Social media revolution changed Egypt , then which country will be next one?

From the beginning, the revolution in Egypt was propelled by the use of social media, and then the government blocked Facebook and Twitter and eventually shut down Internet access completely.Twitter and Facebook users found ways to work around the blackout.Without a doubt, social media, mobile devices and the web have brought the stories from Egypt closer to home. And conversely, the events in Egypt have shown the strength of these tools for both organizing and informing people. we can say social media revolution can make history.
Which country will be next one?

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Topics: social media
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    ahmed terboub

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    Mar 19 2011: it has nothing to do with social media ...arabic states are revoluting because revolution is the unique way that lead to changes and not the social media even social media help egyptians and others arbic and non arabic countries

    • Lawrence Wang 500+

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      TED TranslatorTEDx Organizer
      Apr 22 2011: I do not think so. This kind of revolution would not happen if it were not for the social media in these countries. Social media based on web2.0 make it possible that people can connect with each other,and then exchange information, even share their sadness, happiness...
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        Lindsay Newland Bowker 50+

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        Apr 24 2011: Lawrence, Ahmed's point, and mine I think are the same.all that social media accomplsihed in Egypt was a way for people to gather and act collectively and that's all it allowed. It's a myth thatthe revolutionaries were sucessful in bringing a new democracy to Egyot or any change. The eyes of the world abandoned those young revolutionaries..the social media abandoned them..for the real political power of social media to be realized it has to have the focus, the commirment the good hard work and diligence that old fashioned grass roots politics had. All the social media accomplished in Egypt was allowing them to set a time and place to gather in the square..that's all.
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      Sky F

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      Apr 22 2011: I read I think... Time Magazine? I don't remember the numbers exactly but they showed demographic data of the countries undergoing these revolutions. The majority of the population of these places was under 30 years old. The majority of the people under 30 years old use the internet. Their leaders are a lot older than them and have held office the majority of their lives. Through internet, they learn that many parts of the rest of the world have democracy. Hell, you see America get excited over getting rid of Bush and voting in Obama through the internet, people may wonder "Why don't we get that right?"

      Mix all that into a pot and you have young people starting revolutions against their old dictators.

      The revolution won't be televised... it will be downloaded.

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