E-democracy - Internet As A Mogul For Change

Internet As A Mogul For Change

Recent events, such as the Egyptian Revolution in 2011, show us how this idea of e-democracy has effectively been used in the political arena. Last January, mass protests, marches, and rallies flooded the streets of Cairo, Egypt by the thousands. Citizens were protesting the long reign of their President, Hosni Mubarak, as well as the high unemployment rate, government corruption, poverty, and oppression within society. This 18-day revolution did not begin with guns, violence, or protests, but rather with the creation of a single Facebook page which quickly gained the attention of thousands, and soon millions, of Egyptians, spreading into a global phenomenon. The internet empowered protesters and allowed for anyone with access to the internet be involved in the democratization process of their government. In order to have a democratic, free nation, all information that can be shared, should be shared. Protestors communicated, organized, and collaborated through the use of this technology with real time, real impacts. It would be hard to discount the enormous role these technologies played on the world stage during this time. Even when the regime eliminated all access to the internet in a failed attempt to halt further political online forums, Google and Twitter teamed up, making a system that would get information out to the public without having access to the internet. The interactivity of media during this revolution boosted civic participation and played a monumental role in the political outcome of the revolution and the democratization of an entire nation.

The Internet works toward an "informationalization" of society and everyday life through increasing democratic demands. The Internet, specifically social media sites provide information, facilitate communication and interactions, and allow for intellectual and physical transactions to be made. The Internet is currently an emerging realm of media, which aims to make E-Democracy possible through its role in relevancy of participation, social construction of inclusiveness, sensitivity to the individual, and flexibility in participation; through each of these E-Democracy is accomplished.

The Internet provides a sense of relevancy in participation through allowing everyone's voice to be heard and expressed. A structure of social inclusion is also provided through a wide variety of Internet sites, groups, and social networks, all representing different viewpoints and ideas. Sensitivity to the individual's needs is accomplished through the ability to express individual opinions publicly and rapidly. Finally, the Internet is an extremely flexible area of participation; it is low in cost and widely available to the public. Through these four directions, E-Democracy and the implementation of the Internet are able to play an active role in societal change.

The social media sites of Facebook and Twitter were a key element in the success of the 2010 Egyptian Revolt. Western societies, along with Egypt are transforming from a system based on group control to one of "networked individualism". These networked societies are constructed post -"triple revolution" of technology, which involves a three step process. Step one in the "triple revolution" is "the turn to social networks", step two: "the proliferation of the far-flung, instantaneous internet", and step three: "the even wider proliferation of always-available mobile phones". These elements play a key role in change through the Internet. Such technologies provide an alternative sphere that is unregulated by the government, and where construction of ideas and protests can foster without regulation. For example, In Egypt the "April 6 Youth Movement" established their political group on Facebook where they called for a national strike to occur on April 6. This event was ultimately suppressed however; the Facebook group remained, spurring growth of other activist parties to take an online media route. Internet in Egypt was used also to form connections with networks of people outside of their own country. The connections provided through Internet media sources, such as Twitter allowed rapid spread of the revolt to be known around the world. Specifically, more than 3 million tweets contained six popular hashtags alluring to the revolt, for example #Egypt and #sidibouzid; further enabling the spread of knowledge and change in Egypt.

Internet also plays a central role in deliberative democracy, where deliberation and access to multiple viewpoints is central in decision-making. Internet is able to provide an opportunity for interaction, and serves as a prerequisite in the deliberative process as a research tool. On the Internet the exchange of ideas is widely encouraged through a vast number of websites, blogs, and social networking outlets, such as Twitter; all of which encourage freedom of expression. Through the Internet information is easily accessible, and in a cost effective manner, providing access and means for change. Another fundamental feature of the Internet is its uncontrolled nature, and ability to provide all viewpoints no matter the accuracy. The freedom the Internet provides is able foster and advocate change, crucial in E-Democracy.

Another recent example of a way in which the internet has been used as a mogul for change is the release of Invisible Children's Kony 2012 video. The video, which was released in the afternoon of March 5, 2012, is a powerfully inspirational campaign video that calls for the search for and arrest of Joseph Kony. Invisible Children, the non-profit organization responsible for this video campaign, was founded on the mission to bring awareness to the vile actions of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), located in Central Africa, and the arrest of its leader, Joseph Kony. In the video, Jason Russell, one of the founders of Invisible Children, says that "the problem is that 99% of the planet doesn't know who is" and the only way to stop him is by having enough support from the people to convince the government continue the hunt for him. So, Invisible Children's purpose for the video was to raise awareness by making Kony famous through the ever expanding market of social media, and to use the technology we have today to bring his crimes to light. Sure enough, in only a span of 6 days, the Kony 2012 video went viral with over 100 million views, making it the fastest growing viral campaign video in history. The popularity of the video quickly made its way to Congress. On March 21, 2012, a group of 33 Senators introduced a resolution condemning "the crimes against humanity" committed by Joseph Kony and the LRA. The resolution supports the continued efforts by the US government to "strengthen the capabilities of regional military forces deployed to protect civilians and pursue commanders of the LRA, and calls for cross-border efforts to increase civilian protection and provide assistance to populations affected by the LRA." Senator Lindsay Graham, a co-sponsor of the resolution stated that, "When you get 100 million Americans looking at something, you will get our attention. This YouTube sensation is gonna help the Congress be more aggressive and will do more to lead to his demise than all other action combined". Without a doubt, the Kony 2012 video is evidence of how internet sensations are becoming moguls of change.