Tweeting Their Way to Freedom: An analysis of the role of internet technology in the 2011 Egyptian Revolution Open Access

Cammer, Samuel J. (2012)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/q524jp77b?locale=en
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Abstract

It is somewhat unfathomable how far technology has come in the last 30 years. My parents can still remember a time when they had only a handful of television channels and when color television became popular. If the possibilities presented by technology seemed endless then, imagine how those same people feel today looking out upon the expanse of modern technology that has become integrated into our daily lives. Many scholars and news reporters alike have lauded the Arab Spring, specifically the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, as the 'Facebook revolution' or the 'Twitter revolution.' While it is understood that these types of non-traditional media have had a critical impact on the protests in North Africa, it is my contention that their role has been overstated, insofar as social media has been credited with powering the revolution. This central dilemma will act as the thesis and guiding principle for this work.

Table of Contents



Table of Contents
1 - Introduction
8 - Literature Review
21 - Historical Context
29-- Internet Usage
33 - Politicalization of Discontent
36 - Technology is Nothing New - A Case Study of Iran
41 - Alive in Egypt - Tweets from the Ground
50 - Conclusion
54 - Afterword
57 -- References

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