Social Media and the Arab Uprisings

In December 2010, a street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia, after confrontation with officials, and protests spread across Tunisia and then much of the Arab world. Tunisia's president Ben Ali fled in January 2011 and Egypt's Hosni Mubarak resigned in February. Activists used Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to organize, share videos and reach international audiences, and Egypt's government shut down most internet access for several days in late January 2011.

Some commentators called these Twitter revolutions, while others, such as writer Malcolm Gladwell, argued that real change depends on strong offline organization and that grievances like unemployment and corruption were the true causes. Outcomes differed sharply: Tunisia began a democratic transition, though it suffered serious setbacks after 2021, while Syria, Libya and Yemen descended into war. The uprisings show both the power and the limits of digital connection in politics.