Clay Shirky predicts that the ease of forming groups will continue to improve collective action. This video from Aljazeera gives an overview of how social media served as the collaborative channel in the recent uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, and now Bahrain. Shirky actually sits on the panel that is featured in this video, and while his time is limited, it is interesting to hear his perspective on recent events. Shirky continues to posit that the success and failures of collective action cannot be properly measured from a slice in time, but that we’ll have to wait well into the future to determine their true impact. The panel reaches a consensus in acknowledging that while revolutions are inherently contagious, it was the combination of a desire for justice to prevail and new media tools that contributed to the series of uprisings.
When asked specifically about the role that the Internet would play in the future of these countries, Shirky claimed that after meeting with Tunisian officials he believes that the future government institutions would work toward creating a more tolerant environment toward social media tools. Amy Goodman from Democracy Now! underscored the important role that journalists will play in facilitating the transition from a people’s uprising to a Democratic revolution by continuing to hold the government(s) accountable.
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