Open Space
Social networks and social movements
Social networks have earned a new status and currently are much more than a mere social interaction tool and a simple way to socialize. Facebook is an example of this, as it has become an instrument for making all sorts of petitions and, as we can see, a privileged channel for creating real social movements.
With an exceptional contagious and dissemination capacity, Facebook has promoted events and enabled a large group of people, including those who are not involved in social networks, to answer to the call to participate in several events and social movements.
It is interesting to note that a social network such as Facebook, which is an unquestionable tool for self-promotion, acts as the trigger for a manifesto that is no more than a collective movement where individuals “disappear”.
The 12 March demonstration, centred in Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon, imprinted a revolutionary mark on the day, and is a good example of this phenomenon.
Both Facebook and the 12 March demonstration constitute popularity phenomena per se. To attend a demonstration is one of the most popular forms citizens can use to be heard. This is an area where people loose prominence and get diluted into a more or less uniform mass, a living being where the strength of the collective prevails over the individual.
The demonstration brought together thousands of people. However, the common denominator was not to be found on a World Wide Web meeting. Rather, the mobilizing factor was undeniably the will of a group of people who stand up “against” the country’s current political situation, to participate. This is what happened on 12 March, and I believe this is the way it will always be. It is on the streets that slogans are best heard and passed on, and it is when shouted out loud that words attain all their change potential.
With an exceptional contagious and dissemination capacity, Facebook has promoted events and enabled a large group of people, including those who are not involved in social networks, to answer to the call to participate in several events and social movements.
It is interesting to note that a social network such as Facebook, which is an unquestionable tool for self-promotion, acts as the trigger for a manifesto that is no more than a collective movement where individuals “disappear”.
The 12 March demonstration, centred in Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon, imprinted a revolutionary mark on the day, and is a good example of this phenomenon.
Both Facebook and the 12 March demonstration constitute popularity phenomena per se. To attend a demonstration is one of the most popular forms citizens can use to be heard. This is an area where people loose prominence and get diluted into a more or less uniform mass, a living being where the strength of the collective prevails over the individual.
The demonstration brought together thousands of people. However, the common denominator was not to be found on a World Wide Web meeting. Rather, the mobilizing factor was undeniably the will of a group of people who stand up “against” the country’s current political situation, to participate. This is what happened on 12 March, and I believe this is the way it will always be. It is on the streets that slogans are best heard and passed on, and it is when shouted out loud that words attain all their change potential.
Tânia Simões
Equipa Editorial
tsimoes@fm.ul.pt