Aamna Dhillon

Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Hicks, Barbara

Keywords

Social Media, Communications Technology, Human Rights, Social Movements, Terrorism

Area of Concentration

International and Area Studies

Abstract

The digital age opened the doors for unprecedented innovation in the world of Information and Communication Technologies. With the advent of social media, people from across the globe could communicate at a speed and reach unparalleled by older forms of communication. This study explores the use of social media to mobilize, organize, and sustain movements for human rights and good governance. By exploring the use of social media in Tunisia’s 2011 Revolution, Ukraine’s Euromaidan protests, and Mexico’s protests surrounding the Ayotzinapa kidnapping, this study demonstrates social media’s capacity as a tool for progress and revolution. At the same time, social media can also be utilized for terrorism and crime, as showcased by the media and recruitment strategy of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Nevertheless, social media has become integral to mass movements in an increasingly shrinking world, allowing for greater transparency and further reach.

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