What is Communication?
Communication is what makes revolutions possible. It incorporates every single interaction that we have as a species and even with other species. Communication functions as a force "tied to a realization of the centrality of commuincation in social settings."[1]
The uprising that has occurred in the past month in Egypt is the work of communication on the internet. According to Wael Ghonim, a popular activist and Google executive, the revolution was able to happen because of the communication allowed by the use of Facebook and other social media sites. [2]
Perhaps the most important underlying idea of communication allowing revolutions to happen is that the internet is not almighty. As implied by Calderone, the driving force behind a real revolution and the overturning of a government requires manpower and communication by a show of force and numbers.[2] During the revolt in Iran, the government cracked down on protesters and the mobilization of people did not occur. Thus, even with the internet allowing mass communication, revolutions require physical communication that is not available over the internet.
[1]Hardt, Hanno. Myths for the Masses: An Essay on Mass Communication. United Kingdom: Blackwell Publishing, 2004, p. 3.
[2]Calderone, Michael. Social media plays role in Egypt some expected in Iran. Yahoo! News. February 11, 2011. http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thecutline/20110211/ts_yblog_thecutline/social-media-plays-role-in-egypt-some-expected-in-iran. Accessed February 12, 2011. Internet.
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