Social media has become the tool marginalized voices use to have their grievances heard. Injustices can no longer be contained or covered up because social media allows people to freely share information. This new found power is capable of bringing pressure to government officials to enact change. But it has also been responsible for causing harm due to the consequences of misinformation being released. What is most important, for any cause, is the want to use social media for good. This will ensure that the leaders of a cause will respect the importance of providing structure, clarity and community.
Throughout the globe many people are witnesses to the horrors of existing under oppressive governments. Government corruption boils down to resources being hoarded within the government structure and the people are left to struggle to survive. In some regions this means their lives are treated as dispensable so violence and terror is a daily norm. For other regions this means that citizens are not afforded proper education, healthcare or employment opportunities. Generations have witnessed gross amounts of injustices and question when will justice be served? When will the tables turn in their favor? As their questions remain unanswered, social tension rises until it meets its breaking point.
Self-Immolation has been practiced for many political or religious reasons. My first encounter of this type of protest was through Thích Quảng Đức, a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk responding to his government oppressing his religious rights. When the photo of his protest reached the United States, President John F. Kennedy stated,” No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one”.
Forty-seven years later, Mohamed Bouazizi chose self-immolation in protest of his local government. He was exhausted with how Tunisian police treated their own people. There seemed to be no other option for change but to publicly take his life. His action sparked many riots and protests that were captured on social media. In response, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was forced to step down. Years later a democratic constitution was created and voting was set in place.
Though we can say there has been some positive change made since the protests, systemic issues still exist. A lot of the earlier protests wanted to address unemployment, however due to the explosive nature of the protests Tunisia’s economy remains unstable. In 2021, President Kais Saied suspended parliament, dismissed the prime minister and expanded his executive powers.
Tunisia’s backslide into authoritarian power struggles serves as an example of social media’s limitations. It is a powerful tool to get information out in the open where greater powers can not ignore it. Social media can be used to organize people and make them feel seen by others. But for real change to occur, governments must be held accountable during their efforts to rectify injustices.
Power regimes are tough to remove due to their ability to regenerate is powered by their copious amounts of money and connections. Exposure and awareness can be raised on any issue but governments need to pull together to support unstable governments. Real change starts with a call for action and ends after an unwavering amount of action occurs.