Thesis: Social media is increasingly becoming a fundamental tool for fostering political awareness and action in Saudi Arabia.
Introduction
Saudi Arabia has one of the most repressive media regulations in the world with a score of 83/100 in the most recent survey by the Freedom House, where 0 represents the best score while 100 represents the worst score. The authorities mugged the freedom of the media, further, in 2014 with the passage of the antiterrorism legislation and a series of arrests that silenced some of the most vocal critics (Freedom House). The fragile environment from which journalist operate from has led to a high level of suspicion on the mainstream media which is controlled by powerful government officials and regime apologists who are keen to see a continuation of the status quo. Some of the most oppressive laws in Saudi Arabia touch on women and critics, with women getting very little support from the constitution. For instance, Saudi women were only allowed in 2015, both in national and municipal elections, after years of the push for recognition of the women rights to vote. Women do not enjoy as much freedom as men, especially on matters like owning and driving cars, as well as flying airplanes (Sherman). The rise of social media has been a kind of revelation and gateway for Saudi women, as it gives them an opportunity to air their voice and follow the events happening in the world. According to the survey, women in Saudi Arabia prefer less popular social networks like Snapchat and Instagram, as opposed to Facebook, as they seek to find a niche in their interactions with fellow women and government critics. The ability to access social networks has enabled the women to establish opinions and stands, aspects that have underscored the increasing criticism of the government (Khalid & Institute). This paper will evaluate the role played by social media in enlightening the Saudi Arabians and how that enlightenment has helped to shape political opinion and protests.
Growth of social media usage in Saudi Arabia
Social media has grown in the last decade, and the subsequent rise of the use of Smartphones has enhanced way people access and use social media. While the platforms have been used to enlighten people on their rights, directly and indirectly, there has been a negative side to it, with groups like the ISIL using it to advance terrorist attacks. That notwithstanding, more people have access to the internet and the social media, giving them an alternative source of news and information. The use of social media helps activists to push their agendas, by drawing differences between different countries on how they treat information and news and breaking the kind of news that would have been withheld by the mainstream media. Hence, social media acts as an outlet for the people, as well as an inlet of the kind of information that would have been held secret by the government. Internet penetration in Saudi Arabia stands at 64.7%, a high rate compared to other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. That level of penetration means that many people have an online presence and possess social media profile, either on their own or using false identities in situations where they want to avoid the government (InternetLive Stats). The high level of internet penetration goes hand in hand with social media usage, and it means that many people have direct access to information and trending topic in the country and region. In some situations, social media is used to convene meetings for like-minded individuals, and platforms like Twitter are used to express disgruntlement with government decisions or situations.
Saudis have used social media to oppose efforts by the government to enforce the kind of rules that hurt the wellbeing of the people. In April 2016, for instance, people took to social media to express discomfort with the firing of the water minister when he complained about the risen prices of water. The government had promised to cut down utility bills only to reverse the decision after a short stint of time, citing the need to raise non-oil revenues to sustain the economy. Normally, the government should consult widely before implementing such kind of policies, and give people notice and a period when the implementation will be done. When people heard the news, they went to social media and expressed their anger on the government, citing inconsistencies in the leadership and unfair legislations that hurt the lives of the common citizens. Even more disgruntling was the fact that the Deputy Prime Minister argued that the government had faced challenges with the implementation of the earlier stated water tariff, forcing it to use increments in prices to push for new revenues. In the early days, before the rise of social media, the people would not get a chance to express their sadness on the government actions, and they would have been forced to comply with the new conditions (The National World). The growth of the instant messaging social media (like the use of Whatsapp, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger) has impacted on news sharing and consumption. It means that an increased number of people have an advantage on the access of information and sharing, reaching to many people who did not have knowledge of government actions in the past. The online outburst by the Saudis plays in the large nexus of handset privilege, where people can express their opinions at the comfort of their houses without fearing sudden arrests.
Social media and social impact
The impact of social media in a country depends on the political environment of that country. For instance, if a country is going through a peaceful moment, the social media will help in ensuring that everyone understands the works of the government. Therefore, using this analogy, it fits the bill that the residents of America will experience social media differently from Saudi Arabia citizens. The backdrop of this scenario is the fact that people get online to express their opinions, and opinions are shaped by the experiences of these people, at the personal and group level (Wolfsfeld, Segev, and Sheaffer). Comparing the impact of social media in Saudi Arabia with America, one can draw relationships at the level of sharing of information and creating sensational hash tags. However, the impact of the rise of social media differs in the kind of impact it creates, with Saudis being affected by the sudden surge in the information available to their government and a comparison with other governments across the world. For instance, a thirty-year-old Saudi woman might have grown up knowing that women are supposed to be servants of men, and those such activities like wearing makeup and driving a car are signs of disrespect to traditions of the Saudi people. When that goes to social media and sees the images of models and celebrities from western countries, they become aware of the kind of freedoms they are missing out on and become actively involved in raising awareness that leads to change. One can imagine the emotions of a Saudi woman who discovers that America is facing the possibility of having a female president, while women in Saudi Arabia celebrated the first all-woman crew in the aero industry in 2015. Factoring these issues, one gets to understand that collective decisions are shaped by the political climate in that country.
Social media impact is reflected in the kind of social movements that are created on the main websites like Facebook, and the hash tags that appear on Twitter. When one person expresses a sincere disgruntlement with the way the government is tackling issues, they get supporters and endorsers of their thoughts, and, when that action appears repeatedly, they get to the level where they can form groups depending on the issues they are rising against (Wolfsfeld, Segev, and Sheafer). The contextual characteristics of specific political environments contribute to the kind of collectivism that arises in an attempt to solve the social and political challenges facing the country. For instance, Americans are divided in the middle on the decision to either vote for Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton, with both sides of the divide citing strong academic and intellectual reasons, and some other people fretting about the possibility of choosing between the two leaders. The same kind of impact is realized in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, only that the level of interaction is lower than in America. The main reason for this is the fact that America is dealing with a different kind of problem, whole Saudis are grappling with elementary issues like excessive government control over resources and decisions, and oppressive rules that limit the space with which people can express themselves. Traditionally, the Saudis did not even have the privilege of voicing an opinion, and members of the society, particularly women, lived entire lives without getting a chance to express their opinions on divisive issues like leadership and politics. In that light, therefore, it can be concluded that social media is a construct of the political environment, in that people concentrate, first, on their most pressing issues before moving to the macro level of decision making.
One of the biggest victories of the Saudi people is the success of the Twittersphere community, where young people use the platform to express their opinions against the government. Attempts by the authorities to pass stringent measures to limit the use of Twitter were in vain, forcing the government to change strategy and take a friendly and conversational approach to the people on twitter (Winder). The turn of events will go down the line as a big win for the people of Saudi Arabia, especially considering that the government was adamant on the enforcement of the measure that aimed to curtail the opinions of the people. On one side, the Saudi Twittersphere won in forcing the government into a conversation, and on the other side, the government won by getting an opportunity to interact with the people of Saudi Arabia. The axis of these issues rests on the social media fulcrum that balanced the overly forceful government pressures on the people with the demands for a better governance approach to issues that affected the Saudis. Analyzing these events on the lens of the impact of social media elicits an issue of misunderstanding between the people and the government that was solved by social media. Think about like a constant tussle between the government and the people, where the government thinks that it can take as much from the people as possible, with corrupt leaders accumulating a lot of wealth at the expense of the people. On the other side of the balance, the people are willing to gain an understanding of the workings of the government, with a focus on the importance of implementing a solution to issues that affect them. The mistrust had been making the government suppress the opinions of the people, whole making the people use force to gain the attention of the government. One can conclude that the success of the impact of social media is not only at the level of forcing governments to do things, but also in ensuring that the government understands the issues facing the people, and the possible ways it can interact with the people.
On the list of winners from social media revolution in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia are marginalized groups like women and youth. Online platforms and instant messaging apps give these people an opportunity to vent their anger on the governments and systems of governance. Oppressed people get a chance to connect with each other, and identify themselves with the problems that face them, hence manage to plan for solutions. The most quoted example of the use of social media to spark social change is the story of Mohamed Bouazizi who started the Jasmine revolution in Tunisia after committing suicide. His actions led to the regime change in Tunisia, as many young people identified with the difficulties faced by Mohamed in his failure to secure a job in a country that had very high levels of unemployment (Lageman). The ensuing political reactions spanned from Tunisia to Egypt and Jordan, getting christened as the Arab Spring that caused the collapse of regimes that were thought of as very strong (Al-Jenaibi). For instance, the revolution led to the collapse of the government of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, and the rise of a political left in Syria, disrupting the order that had western analysts regarding the countries as stable. The Arab Spring remains a very big problem in the geopolitics, especially considering the happenstances of the process, like the rise of the Islamic State that has claimed large areas in the Middle East. Ironically, the same social media that led to the extension of the Arab Spring is the same to blame for the effectiveness of the formation of the Islamic State, as it used terror and social media to recruit fighters from many parts of the world. Nevertheless, the events show that social media can influence regime change by giving a voice to the oppressed, leading to a regional breakdown and system collapse. The growing impact of the social media on social changes keeps on rising on the minority, and the process promises to inculcate women and young people into systems of governance, failure to which consequences will befall the stubborn regimes. In Saudi Arabia, social media has raised the consciousness of the people on matters of governance, and the authorities are caught up in a confusion that makes them unable to choose a clear-cut strategy; either to collaborate and implement the issues facing the people or to continue using force and mainstream media to keep the government agenda from the people. On the far end, the government of Saudi Arabia seems to balance both approaches. As to whether they will work is a matter of time (Miladi).
As documented in this paper, social media has had a very big impact on Saudi Arabia people and government in that it has changed the interactions between the government and the people. Those gains do not stand on their own, as there are a lot of problems that arise from the spread of social media. Terror groups have gained ground on governments through social media and young people have indulged in illegal activities because of social media influence. All is not lost because the gains defeat the negative impact of social media.
Conclusion
The impact of social media cannot be underestimated in the role it plays in social change and political development. A lot of research has gone into the definition and analysis of the impact of social media, and, as seen in Saudi Arabia, the impacts range from one country to another depending on the political environment of those countries. The Arab Spring has a lot to thank the social media for, and its diffusion to Egypt and Jordan was hinged on the amount of negative vibe coming from countries that had undergone the revolution. Governments clung on power as people clamored for control, and in most of the situations, the people won. Women and other marginalized groups in Saudi Arabia are the biggest beneficiaries of social media, mainly because they have been offered a chance to voice their opinions and participate in the enforcement of regime changes. The gains from social media cannot be stated without the threat of the same impact, with terrorist groups like IS utilizing social media to communicate and carry out terror attacks. All in all, social media impact in Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest headaches for the repressive government, and gains are being made by the day.
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