Surprising Science — April 12, 2011

New Media’s Impact on Western Protests

We all know that social media played a big role in the recent revolutions in the Middle East. Here the BBC takes an interesting look at technology’s impact on protests in Britain.

bigthinkeditor

What’s the Big Idea?

New technology going beyond mere social media is threatening to change protests forever, says the BBC. Yes, protestors are developing their own apps as well as using blogs, Twitter, Facebook and e-mail, but as they say themselves, these technologies don’t replace good, old-fashioned hard work, creativity and spirit.

What’s the Most Recent Development?

Technology—video cameras, CCTV and now social media—has long been used by those policing protests. But now the protesters are also increasingly using technology to their advantage. How? One example is the student-developed smartphone app Sukey, which directs people away from trouble. And Liveblogging—where eyewitnesses share their experiences in real-time—is one of the ways in which other forms of internet communication during protests have really taken off.

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with

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