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TheOpinionPages

OPEDCOLUMNI ST

SocialMedia:DestroyerorCreator?
ThomasL.FriedmanFEB.3,2016

OverthelastfewyearswevebeentreatedtoanumberofFacebook
revolutions,fromtheArabSpringtoOccupyWallStreettothesquaresof
Istanbul,KievandHongKong,allfueledbysocialmedia.Butoncethesmoke
cleared,mostoftheserevolutionsfailedtobuildanysustainablenewpolitical
order,inpartbecauseassomanyvoicesgotamplified,consensusbuilding
becameimpossible.
Question:Doesitturnoutthatsocialmediaisbetteratbreakingthings
thanatmakingthings?
Recently,animportantvoiceansweredthisquestionwithabigyes.
ThatvoicewasWaelGhonim,theEgyptianGoogleemployeewhose
anonymousFacebookpagehelpedtolaunchtheTahrirSquarerevolutionin
early2011thattoppledPresidentHosniMubarakbutthenfailedtogive
birthtoatruedemocraticalternative.
InDecember,Ghonim,whohassincemovedtoSiliconValley,posteda
TEDtalkaboutwhatwentwrong.Itisworthwatchingandbeginslikethis:I
oncesaid,Ifyouwanttoliberateasociety,allyouneedistheInternet.Iwas
wrong.Isaidthosewordsbackin2011,whenaFacebookpageIanonymously
createdhelpedsparktheEgyptianrevolution.TheArabSpringrevealedsocial
mediasgreatestpotential,butitalsoexposeditsgreatestshortcomings.The

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sametoolthatunitedustotoppledictatorseventuallytoreusapart.
Intheearly2000s,Arabswereflockingtotheweb,Ghonimexplained:
Thirstyforknowledge,foropportunities,forconnectingwiththerestofthe
peoplearoundtheglobe,weescapedourfrustratingpoliticalrealitiesandlived
avirtual,alternativelife.
AndtheninJune2010,henoted,theInternetchangedmylifeforever.
WhilebrowsingFacebook,Isawaphotoofatortured,deadbodyofayoung
Egyptianguy.HisnamewasKhaledSaid.Khaledwasa29yearold
Alexandrianwhowaskilledbypolice.Isawmyselfinhispicture.I
anonymouslycreatedaFacebookpageandcalleditWeAreAllKhaledSaid.
Injustthreedays,thepagehadover100,000people,fellowEgyptianswho
sharedthesameconcern.
SoonGhonimandhisfriendsusedFacebooktocrowdsourceideas,and
thepagebecamethemostfollowedpageintheArabworld.Socialmedia
wascrucialforthiscampaign.Ithelpedadecentralizedmovementarise.It
madepeoplerealizethattheywerenotalone.Anditmadeitimpossibleforthe
regimetostopit.
GhonimwaseventuallytrackeddowninCairobyEgyptiansecurity
services,beatenandthenheldincommunicadofor11days.Butthreedaysafter
hewasfreed,themillionsofprotestershisFacebookpostshelpedtogalvanize
broughtdownMubaraksregime.
Alas,theeuphoriasoonfaded,saidGhonim,becausewefailedtobuild
consensus,andthepoliticalstruggleledtointensepolarization.Socialmedia,
henoted,onlyamplifiedthepolarizationbyfacilitatingthespreadof
misinformation,rumors,echochambersandhatespeech.Theenvironment
waspurelytoxic.Myonlineworldbecameabattlegroundfilledwithtrolls,lies,
hatespeech.
SupportersofthearmyandtheIslamistsusedsocialmediatosmeareach

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other,whilethedemocraticcenter,whichGhonimandsomanyothers
occupied,wasmarginalized.TheirrevolutionwasstolenbytheMuslim
Brotherhoodand,whenitfailed,bythearmy,whichthenarrestedmanyofthe
secularyouthswhofirstpoweredtherevolution.Thearmyhasitsown
Facebookpagetodefenditself.
Itwasamomentofdefeat,saidGhonim.Istayedsilentformorethan
twoyears,andIusedthetimetoreflectoneverythingthathappened.
Hereiswhatheconcludedaboutsocialmediatoday:First,wedont
knowhowtodealwithrumors.Rumorsthatconfirmpeoplesbiasesarenow
believedandspreadamongmillionsofpeople.Second,Wetendtoonly
communicatewithpeoplethatweagreewith,andthankstosocialmedia,we
canmute,unfollowandblockeverybodyelse.Third,onlinediscussions
quicklydescendintoangrymobs.Itsasifweforgetthatthepeoplebehind
screensareactuallyrealpeopleandnotjustavatars.
Andfourth,itbecamereallyhardtochangeouropinions.Becauseofthe
speedandbrevityofsocialmedia,weareforcedtojumptoconclusionsand
writesharpopinionsin140charactersaboutcomplexworldaffairs.Andonce
wedothat,itlivesforeverontheInternet.
Fifth,andmostcrucial,hesaid,today,oursocialmediaexperiencesare
designedinawaythatfavorsbroadcastingoverengagements,postsover
discussions,shallowcommentsoverdeepconversations.Itsasifweagreed
thatweareheretotalkateachotherinsteadoftalkingwitheachother.
Ghonimhasnotgivenup.Heandafewfriendsrecentlystartedawebsite,
Parlio.com,tohostintelligent,civilconversationsaboutcontroversialand
oftenheatedissues,withtheaimofnarrowinggaps,notwideningthem.(I
participatedinadebateonParlioandfounditengagingandsubstantive.)
Fiveyearsago,concludedGhonim,Isaid,Ifyouwanttoliberate
society,allyouneedistheInternet.TodayIbelieveifwewanttoliberate

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society,wefirstneedtoliberatetheInternet.
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