The advent and use of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, amongst others has resulted in drastic change in the society. In this case, these sites are widely adopted for the main purpose of communication. As opposed to the past where spatial barriers obstructed communication, social media sites have broken these barriers and have resulted in a more connected world, leading to the inference of the world being a global village. The impact of the use of social media on individuals and the government has been tremendous with some, understandably, having negative effects on society.
My Claim
Social media has contributed greatly to the empowerment of government and individuals in the society.
Importance
Social media has become an integral part in the current society. As proven in the recent past, the use of such sites has gone beyond the superficial meaning of its concept name ‘social’. In this regard, social media has been adopted as a platform for communication of more substantial and deep issues such as politics and global issues, confronting the society. In this regard, the assessment of the effect of social media on empowerment of both government and individuals has become imperative.
Reason 1
Social media has brought the government closer to the people.
In the past, government was viewed as an institution ridden with bureaucracy and would take long periods of time to reach the intended recipient of a message. Even though this situation is still in existence, it has been substantially reduced by social media. One can reach a government institution by simply accessing their Facebook or Twitter page as opposed to spending months trying to get an appointment. As a result of embracement of social media technology, government can address the needs raised by the people it leads (Zavattaro and Bryer, 2015).
Counter-argument. Even though countries around the world have adopted social media, there are others which are yet to do so. In this case, countries under dictatorial rule such as North Korea, forbid the use of social media, making government difficult to access. In other cases, many country governments have failed to harness the power of social media. Even though they may have respective accounts in such sites, they are not used.
Rebuttal. In instances where access to government has been hindered, the advantage of social media is its global influence. In this case, if an issue does not resonate in the concerned country, the issue can still raise awareness outside the confines of a country’s boundaries and make it global. The effect it has on a global scale can prompt a country’s government to take action.
Reason 2
Social media has facilitated public engagement and increased efficiency of public service delivery.
Government institutions have witnessed increased interaction with members of the public. This approach has facilitated the establishment of positive relationships with the public (Mergel, 2013). For instance, the police force, through the adoption of social media, has encouraged interactivity with the general public, thereby raising awareness of its services or emergencies.
Counter-argument. Past interaction with government institutions may impede service delivery. In this case, in the instance the public does not have a positive outlook of the concerned institutions, unless a cultural revolution takes place, the use of social media may not achieve any notable improvement in service delivery.
Rebuttal. A few people’s experience with government can be combined to form a movement. In this case, they can raise the necessary awareness by reaching out to people in their network and who in turn may reach out to people in their networks. As such, this occurrence has a spill-over effect on the institution under focus, thereby instigating the required action.
Reason 3
Social media allows people to contribute to global issues
The present society is plagued by grave issues of unemployment, social injustice, and crime, amongst others. In this case, people, especially the youth, have had their voice heard with regards to these issues on a global platform. The adoption of social media sites to make one’s stand known with regards to a certain issue has led to mobilization of efforts in consideration of drawing the required effect. For instance, social movements such as the ‘Black Lives Matter’ have drawn attention to social injustices and police brutality, thereby effecting the required change.
Counter-argument. The constant engagement of the youth on social media is not as effective as other awareness techniques such as lobbying and interaction. This is because social media may draw digital attention and after a certain period of time, as in the case of the majority of youth matters, eventually die down.
Rebuttal. In some instances, social media awareness may not reach tremendous scales. However, with the right mobilization strategy, social media can draw a global audience and participation in consideration of the issue under focus. For instance, the Arab Uprising was majorly instigated by social media. The youth from different parts of the world took the issue in focus and led the movement on Twitter, leading to the uprising (Buckingham, 2012). As a result of their use of social media sites, this movement made considerable strides, seeing the eventual overthrowing of government in Egypt.
Connections
Even though social media has been cited as having a negative effect on both government and people, its power when well harnessed has led to empowerment. In the instance explained above, it is clear that social media has brought considerable change in the society. In this case, social media sites instigate the power of the people leading to their empowerment. Therefore, the consideration of social media as an empowerment tool should be embraced and not ignored.
Conclusion
All in all, the advent of the internet and consequently, social media sites has enhanced communication. Geographical barriers have been effectively broken, leading to a more connected and closer global society. As a result, the power of the masses is well harnessed through social media. For this reason, government and people should effectively manage the power of social media to their advantage.
References
Buckingham, D. (2012). Youth, identity, and digital media. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Mergel, I. (2013). Social media in the public sector: A guide to participation, collaboration, and transparency in the networked world. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Zavattaro, S. & Bryer, T. (2015). Social media for government: Theory and practice. New York: Routledge Publishers.
