Over the last couple of days I noticed that people constantly resort to social media (Facebook, Twitter,YouTube, etc) to share stories regarding social change. It made me wonder if the ability of voicing one’s opinion through social media is enough to cause an impact on government action. I have always thought the marketplace of ideas doesn’t always offer the best idea, but instead the idea that is supported by the most people. So I thought it would be interesting to see how not only our government but all governments in the world react to the new tool available to citizens. Would the best ideas rise to the top?
An excellent example is what is going on in Venezuela. People are protesting their government’s actions through social media use. In addition, citizens protest in the streets. The situation has grown to a volatile state, you can find videos in the internet that was uploaded by witnesses. The footage shows S.W.A.T law enforcement beating up protestors and even opening fire on civilians. The protesting civilians hope to gain the attention of the United Nations in order to bring peace back to the country.
I hope this incident doesn’t reflect the overall image of social media as a tool for the public. We live in a world where everyone should be heard.