“The Impact & Implications of Social Media on Modern Day Revolution:
A Comparative Study of the dynamics of Egypt & Pakistan”
Maheen Ghauri+
Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Kiyani Shaheed Road, Saddar, Karachi, Pakistan
Abstract: Social Media is defined as the use of web-based technologies that have revolutionized the way
individuals, communities, and organizations communicate today. It has enabled interactive dialogue, where
communities gather online to share ideas, information, and opinions. For the first time in history, the use of social
media played a critical role in facilitating revolution in the Middle East, especially in Egypt. It acted as a catalyst
in facilitating protests, and creating a center of attention for the global community.
The purpose of this research is to study the impact of social media in modern day revolution, tracking its use as a
facilitator and catalyst in the revolution in Egypt. I have then compared and contrasted the socio-political
scenario of Egypt and Pakistan, and have also studied and compared the usage and influence of social media on
internet users in Egypt and Pakistan. The internet and social media usage is on the rise in Pakistan, with 18
million people reportedly having access to the internet and social media. Considering the prevailing situation in
Pakistan that the public have been facing for quite some time, I have analyzed whether social media can play a
similar role in facilitating a revolution in Pakistan. With approximately 50% of social media users being in the
age group 18-24 years, we can see a move in the right direction in the years to come, as social media becomes a
major agent of change.
Keywords: Social Media, Modern Day Revolution, Socio-political Transformation, Social media Usage,
Political History, Egypt Revolution
1. Introduction
1.1
Research Problem
The purpose of this research paper is:
1.2
• To study the impact of social media on modern day revolution, relating the effects and importance of
social media on revolution in Egypt.
• To study the usage and influence of social media on internet users in Egypt and Pakistan.
• To compare and contrast the historical and current political scenario of Egypt and Pakistan.
• To analyze whether social media can play a similar role in facilitating a revolution in Pakistan.
Background
‘Social Media’ has been defined at various instances as follows:
• The activities, practices, and behaviour among communities of people who gather online to share
information, knowledge, and opinions using conversational media. (Lon Safko, 2009)
• The media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques [and] webbased technologies to transform and broadcast media monologues into social media dialogues.
(Wikipedia)
• New web technologies that have made it easy for anyone to create – and, most importantly – distribute
their own content. (Zarella, 2010)
Social media combines two words, social, and media. To be social means to interact with and influence
others in order to survive. In a traditional sense, media includes newspapers, magazines, radio, and television
+
mghauri@iba.edu.pk; Office: +92-21-38104701; Mobile: +92-300-2285840
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which are one-way, static broadcast technologies. These deliver news and information through print, audio,
video, and pictures. Social media, on the other hand, is primarily the conversational media in the form of Webbased applications that make it possible to create and easily transmit information or content in the form of words,
pictures, videos, and audios. A blog post, YouTube video, or tweet can be created or developed, and viewed by a
global audience for free. This explains the sphere of influence that social media can cover.
There are many various forms or types of social media, and since this is an emergent technology, there are
new web applications being designed and developed everyday. However, the most popular ones are Blogs,
Social Networks (eg. Facebook, LinkedIn), Media-sharing sites (eg. YouTube, Flicker), and Twitter.
1.3
Social Media Powering a Revolution
At the end of 2010, many Arab countries in North Africa and the Middle East were facing a wave of protests.
Open areas were crowded with thousands of demonstrators who demanded freedom of speech, protesting against
unemployment, poor living conditions, corruption, and the right to a democratic government. These protests
eventually lead to a revolution in a few countries, and we are still in the midst of protests in other Arab countries
as well.
The agitation of the public, when being heard by a larger sphere of influence, impacts the global community
at large, thus pressurizing the Government. For the first time in history, the use of social media and mobile
phones played a critical role in facilitating these protests. Not only was social media used to facilitate these
protests, but it acted as a catalyst in creating a center of attention for the global community at large. Countries
that may have not been aware of the problems in these Arab countries were now focused on their issues at hand.
Since reporters and journalists were banned from these protests, and were not allowed to participate or report
any information, the news was disseminated through social media and cell phones. SMS messages, Tweets, and
Facebook were used for to communicate and organize group protests in the form of crowds and marches. This
resulted in banning the use of the internet, and switching it altogether. But videos were made using mobile
phones, and later uploaded on YouTube, the popular media-sharing site. This site was also used to upload videos
of torture and violence to put more pressure on the Government and global communities.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpYH7VxYFeI)
Even though the end of 2010 saw the beginning of an era starting with the self-immolation of a street vendor
in Tunisia, it was actually in Egypt that the social media phenomenon took precedence in times of modern
protests.
This paper studies the impact of social media in modern revolution, tracking its use as a facilitator and
catalyst in the revolution in Egypt. It then compares and contrasts the historical and political scenario of Egypt
and Pakistan, as well as the social media usage in both countries. Since these countries have a lot of similarities
as far as the political environment and demographics is concerned, we hope to analyze whether social media can
play a similar role in facilitating a revolution in Pakistan.
2. Discussion
The end of 2010 was the beginning of an era of protests and a revolution in Arab countries, when Tunisia
saw the self-immolation of Mohammad Bouazizi, a Tunisian street vendor on December 17, 2010. He was
protesting for the confiscation of his merchandise, as well as the disgrace he felt because of him being harassed
by Government officials. He then drenched himself in gasoline and set himself on fire outside the governor’s
office. Bouazizi survived his initial suicide attempt. After being transported to a hospital near Tunis, he was
visited by President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali before passing away on January 4.
(http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/101313/20110114/the-story-of-mohamed-bouazizi-the-man-who-toppledtunisia.htm, 2011).
After his suicide attempt, unrest broke out in Sidi Bouzid. The police cracked down on the protestors, which
only fueled the movement. The revolt eventually spread to the capital city. His act became the catalyst for
the Tunisian Revolution, inciting demonstrations and riots throughout Tunisia. What followed was a campaign
50
of civil resistance, including a series of street demonstrations, and the escalating violence and opposition
eventually led to the oust of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on 14 January 2011.
The reasons for the uprising in Tunisia were mainly high unemployment, food inflation, poor living
conditions, corruption, lack of freedom of speech, and lack of political freedom.
2.1. Egypt’s Political History
If we look at a short preview of Egypt’s political history, the first Egyptian president in 1953 was Mohamed
Naguib, which was then followed by the Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt, adopted in 1971. Hosni
Mubarak was then elected as the Egyptian president elected in 1981.
The reasons for the Egyptian revolution were many. After the Tunisian revolution, people in the Middle East
saw this as an opportunity to take a stand against the socio-political issues in the country. These included police
brutality, state of emergency laws, lack of free elections, freedom of speech, irrepressible corruption, and a high
rate of unemployment, inflation, and low minimum wages. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juWvuNEZx1A)
When the protests first started on 25th January, 2011, and the public came out on the streets, twitter was used
extensively to communicate where and when the demonstrations were to be held. Within a span of just 2 days,
the power of social media was felt and heard by the masses, not just in Egypt, but in countries the world over.
International media channels were broadcasting the demonstrations live, and Twitter and Facebook pages were
created to act as a catalyst to initiate these protests. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaEV2CPpu_E). The
internet was shut down by the Egyptian government on 27th January, 2011, but anonymous internet users and
mobile users played a very important role in communicating to the world the plight of the Egyptian people. With
pressure building on Hosni Mubarak and his government, together with the international pressure as well, the
internet service was resumed on 2nd February, and finally President Hosni Mubarak resigned and left Egypt on
11th February. A detailed timeline is given below:
TABLE 1: Egypt Revolution Timeline
Tuesday, 1/25
Wednesday, 1/26
Thursday, 1/27
Friday, 1/28
Saturday, 1/29
Sunday, 1/30
Monday, 1/31
Tuesday, 2/1
Wednesday, 2/2
Thursday, 2/3
Friday, 2/4
Saturday, 2/5
Sunday, 2/6
Monday, 2/7
Tuesday, 2/8
Wednesday, 2/9
Thursday, 2/10
Friday, 2/11
First Day Of Demonstrations
Protests Resume For Second Day
Egypt Shuts Down The Internet
Mubarak Speaks, Says He'll Form A New Government
Anonymous Internet Users Help Egypt Communicate
Hillary Clinton: Egypt Must Transition To Democracy
Egypt's New Government Is Announced, Sworn In
President Mubarak Says He Won't Run For Re-Election
Internet Service Returns In Egypt
Foreign Journalists Rounded Up
"Day of Departure" Protests Held Across Egypt
Members Of Ruling Party Leadership Resign
Government Agrees On Concessions
Google Executive Released In Egypt
Freed Activist Energizes Protests
Widespread Labor Strikes Throughout Egypt
Despite Rumors, Mubarak Refuses To Step Down
Mubarak Resigns As President, Leaves Cairo
Source:
(http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/106653/20110130/mubarak-egypt-vandalism-president-barack-obamayoutube-twitter-omar-suleiman-ahmed-shafiq-egyptian-m.htm, 2011)
(http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/106660/20110130/egypt-is-online-without-internet-service-cell-phones-orsocial-networking.htm, 2011)
51
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12400319, 2011)
2.2. Pakistan’s Political History
The historical and socio-political scenario of Pakistan is not very different from Egypt. These countries have
a lot of similarities as far as the political environment and demographics is concerned, especially considering the
prevailing situation in the country that the public have been facing for quite some time.
If we take a look at Pakistan’s political history, we can see that Pakistan has been ruled by both democratic
and military governments. The first decade was marred with political unrest and instability. From 1947 to 1958
as many as seven Prime Ministers of Pakistan either resigned or were ousted. Pakistan has had three periods of
military rule: 1958–71, 1977–88, and 1999–2008. Periods alternating between military regimes and democracy
rule seem to substitute each other with intervals of approximately ten years, and unfortunately, democracy has
not been given time to fully take root in the population. State institutions such as the judiciary system remain
weak and democratic discourse has not emerged. The civil political leadership of the country is tied to the
traditional feudal power structure, and the less privileged are not able to rise to political power. This has created
a number of legal, political, and economic problems similar to what the Egyptians faced for many years.
To compare the demographics of Pakistan and Egypt, I have provided statistical data that gives a clear
scenario of the similarities and differences of both countries:
TABLE 2: Demographical Statistics
Attribute
Population
Literacy Rate
Unemployment rate
Avg. Minimum Wage Rate
FAO Avg. Food Price Index
Corruption Standing
Egypt
9.5 crore
66.4%
9.7%
6.5 USD
236 points
98
Pakistan
18 crore
58.2%
15%
90 USD
165 points
143
The Internet and Social media penetrated Pakistan at approximately the same time it penetrated Egypt. Since
the demographical statistics show a lot of similarities, I went on to study and compare the social media statistics
for both countries. The details and comparison between both countries are given below in Table 3, and in
Figures 1-Figure 4:
TABLE 3: A Comparison of Social Media Penetration in Egypt & Pakistan
Attribute
TV Channel
Phone Usage
Internet Usage
You Tube
Facebook
Avg. Cost-per-click
Egypt
52
51%
17%
3rd most popular website
8.47%
$0.3
52
Pakistan
72
50%
10%
4th most popular website
2.32%
$0.2
Fig. 1. User Age Distribution on
o Facebook In
I Egypt
D
onn Facebook Inn Pakistan
Fig. 2. User Age Distribution
Fig.33. Male/Female User Ratio On Facebookk In Egypt
53
Fig. 4.. Male/Femalee User Ratio O
On Facebook In Pakistan
As seenn in Figures 1-4, the highest percenttage of Facebbook users is
i in the age group 18-24
4 years for both
b
Pakistan and Egypt. Mooreover the Facebook
F
male-female user ratio is appproximatelyy 60%-40%.
2.3. Pakiistan’s Meddia Growthh
The preevious decadde in Pakistaan witnessedd the rise off the telecom
m sector and the increaseed access to the
Internet, as well as a groowth of privaate televisionn networks, because
b
of which
w
the Pakkistanis havee experiencedd an
o
oveer the years. The total nuumber of moobile phone subscribers
s
was
w 100 milllion
exceptional culture of openness
last year, buut only approoximately 100 percent of the
t Pakistanii population has access tto the interneet. This amouunts
to nearly 188 million Pakkistanis who reportedly have
h
access too the internett.
Public opinion hass time and again
a
been influenced because
b
of the
t power oof social meedia along with
w
m
In thee regime of military
m
dicttator Generall Musharraf,, media playyed a vital roole in bringinng a
electronic media.
diverse Pakkistani comm
munity to ressist and go against
a
the m
military rule during the lawyers’ moovement. It also
played a rolle in supportting the ousted Chief Jusstice. “One T
TV channel was
w banned ffor a short while
w
and sevveral
anti-Musharrraf blogs weere also bloccked”. (Rumii, 2011)
Unfortuunately, Pakiistan’s electtronic mediaa has a longg history of struggles aggainst civilian and miliitary
regimes, annd manipulation of such media by coorporate and state interessts is evidentt. Social med
dia, on the other
hand, is relaatively free ffrom censorsship or consttraints. Whenn emergencyy was imposeed in Novem
mber 2007, soocial
media provided the impportant link between
b
variious networkks. Blogs havve been repoorting the millitary operatiions
in Baluchistan. Faceboook and Twittter are now replacing blogs, where thousands
t
off Pakistanis and other Soouth
Asians sharre their ideas and commennt on the soccio-political situation
s
in Pakistan
P
3.
Con
nclusion
Aroundd 67 percent of Pakistan’s populationn is under thee age of 26, and along w
with the grow
wth of bloggging,
Facebook has
h become popular among young Pakistanis. It
I is a vital space for sharing inforrmation sharring,
networking, and virtual meet-ups.
on is a separrate issue. The
T socio-political issuess that have been
b
Whetheer we are heaaded in the right directio
prevalent inn the countryy have beenn cause for insecurities,
i
political unrrest, unemplloyment, infl
flation, and poor
p
living condditions, muchh like was in the case of Egypt. Unfortunatel
U
ly, due to thhe traditionaal feudal poower
structure in Pakistan, thee less privileeged are not able
a to rise too political poower.
Howeveer, the Pakisttani people still
s have hop
pe, as the futuure of alternaative and soccial media is full of potenntial.
With the soocial media usage
u
numbeers being the same as Eggypt, and withh approximaately 50% off the users beeing
in the age group
g
18-244 years, theree are a lot of
o possibilities. The dynnamic nature of media, especially
e
soocial
media, has resulted in tthe society becoming
b
caandid and auudacious. Soocial media iis on the risee and has giiven
voice to thee youth of Paakistan. It is a formidable agent of chhange, and we
w can see a move in thee right directtion.
54
In the years to come, as Internet and Social Media usage increases, an urbanized Pakistan and a dynamic social
media can be major agents of socio-political transformation.
4.
Bibliography
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