Uprising. Revolution. Death. Not the first things that come to mind when speaking of Twitter. None-the-less, the micro-blogging platform has taken center stage as a key player in social change around the world as of late.  Throughout history, technology has played an essential role in political and economic development of mankind. Twitter has now cemented its position in the history books as a disruptive technology.

Twitter in the news:

• Tunisia’s Islamist Party used Twitter to overthrow the country’s government in what is being called “a real Twitter revolution.” For the first time seen in history, social media was used to help communicate with activists “in the field” alerting them to sniper locations and helping with navigation.

• Egyptian youth embraced social media to mobilize citizens in protest at Cairo’s Tahrir Square against President Ben Ali. The social media uprising became so strong that the Mubarak government blocked Twitter to the country while protester hit the streets.

• In Abbottabad, Pakistan there were reports of a civilian tweeting of strange helicopters and gunfire on the evening of May 1, 2011. Unknowingly, the man was the first to leak information on military action that resulted in the death of Osama Bid Laden.

The world has witnessed protests in Egypt, Tunisia and other countries before; however this was the first time social media played a role. Twitter lends itself perfectly to social change given its ability to broadcast messages to the masses on a public platform that encourages sharing and interaction, as well as the ability to access the platform on-the-go. The ability for tweeters to remain somewhat anonymous also allowed for voices never heard before to share thoughts and ideas in a safe place.

This is not the first time technology has been a catalyst for social change. The world was forever changed with Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press. That new technology allowed for communication with the masses and played a major role in Europe’s Reformation in the 15th century. Pamphlets produced in mass by the printing press lead to a distribution of thought that lead to change.

Technology has contributed to sociological and political revolutions, in their respective time periods, by creating a new era of mass communication. Both the printing press and Twitter were vehicles that helped individuals across social classes realize that others shared their feelings of dissent. This collection and organization of ideas acts as an agent of change.

The facts:

Printing Press
·      Developed by Guteberg in 15th century
·      Inspired a new branch of media: The Press
·      Disrupted socio-economic complacency
·      Threatened the power of religious and political authorities
·      Influential during the Reformation

Twitter
·      Developed by Jack Dorsey in 2006
·      Inspired a form of communication: Micro-blogging
·      Facilitated mass communication and gave the people a voice
·      Threatened ruling regimes and led to internet shut-downs in multiple instances
·      Influential to revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya

Experts continue to debate the impact that Twitter and other social media platforms have played in current events and are hesitant to call current uprisings “Twitter Revolutions.”  Regardless of what you want to call it, we can no longer deny the power social media plays in our lives. Viva la Twevolution!