Social media: Key player in Venezuelan protests

Social media has become one of the most empowering and influential ways to expose and broadcast an event on the Internet. Anyone can become a journalist; thus, technology has allowed us to access many social media platforms and connect with millions of people around the world. For instance, Facebook and Instagram have implemented the Live Streaming function which facilitates users to see raw and real-time events.

Technology is now being used to expose the harsh reality of Venezuela. This country was once one of the riches countries in Latin America; however, today is one of the most repressed countries in the world. Under President Nicolas Maduro’s regime, Venezuela is now known to be one of the most dangerous countries in the world. There has been countless protests against the president, but Maduro has consolidated his power, making the country an Authoritarian regime.

There is no freedom of speech, making all mass media outlets censored by the government. This is why Venezuelans are recurring to social media with the hopes of letting the world know what its truly happening. Some of the Twitter, Facebook and Instagram posts were made viral during the ongoing protests, making #SOSVenezuela #PrayforVenezuela #VzlaUnidaContraElFascismo trending hashtags.

Despite the live-blogging efforts, the Venezuelan government blocked most of the posts that could defame them. However, they have brought so much international attention it is inevitable to deceive. As said by USA Today, More than 14 million people in Venezuela own a smart phone, which allows them immediate access to the news.

Personally, I see how my Venezuelan friends at Penn State make an effort to disseminate through their social media accounts what their families and friends back in Venezuela are living first-hand.

 

Don’t underestimate the power of social media, specially for millennials, who are tech savvy. It is a great tool to let your voice be heard and inform people of relevant issues happening in the world.

Barakat, C. (2014, February 21). Social Media and the Uprising in Venezuela. Retrieved August 30, 2017, from http://www.adweek.com/digital/social-media-uprising-venezuela/

Ellis, S. (2017, August 29). The collapse of Venezuela, explained. Retrieved August 30, 2017, from https://www.vox.com/videos/2017/8/29/16201552/collapse-maduro-venezuela-explained

Wilson, P. (2014, February 19). Social media key for Venezuelan protesters. Retrieved August 30, 2017, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/02/19/venezuela-uprising-protests/5606899/

8 thoughts on “Social media: Key player in Venezuelan protests

  1. I think like most people around the world, myself included, were unaware of the events going in in Venezuela. Its very interesting to see how the use of social media can really showcase and highlight the Wrong doings that are occurring in Venezuela. A simple hashtag that goes viral can really make everyone aware of things going on. I know personally, I always check to see what is trending worldwide on twitter and always come across things I never would’ve thought was going on. This is the golden age of technology and as was said in the article, we millennial are very tech savvy and can accomplish a lot just by posting to our social media accounts. Anything from raising awareness for events going on in Venezuela to something like donating money, just things of that nature. It makes me wonder if other countries, suffering through events like this where the government is so strict and suffocating, were able to use social media to showcase to the world whats going on, what is it that we would discover?

  2. I think this article very accurately represents how crucial social media is today for our current generation. Like we saw in our class, many young people get their news from social media, so like any news source it is important that it remains free from censorship. Unfortunately, many oppressive states of today restrict the flow of information on the internet. That’s why I believe social media is a key player in many of these social and political revolutions such as Venezuela and a few years the Arab Springs revolution. My opinion in all of this is that as time goes on, social media will become an even bigger part in social and political discussions and it will be incumbent on all of us to learn the power of our ideas and the necessity to leave them to develop on their own in order to grow as humanity.

  3. I think it’s great that the people of Venezuela are using social media to get the word out about what is truly going on in their country. I (assume) it is fairly easy for the government to censor large publications and newspapers, but it is much harder to stop thousands of people from tweeting or posting on Facebook. They can’t easily monitor the online presence of their citizens on social media like they can monitor the few national newspapers or online blogs. This makes it a great outlet for people to speak freely and have their voice heard. The effect social media can have on protests can be seen in the US just a few weeks ago with the Charlottesville protests. People on the scene were live-tweeting what was going on with the protesters and other groups that were gathering around the scene. This was a valuable source of information for people around the world to keep up to date about what was going on. It’s quicker to post on social media than write an article, so papers and individuals alike took to the web to share what was happening. I think the power of social media for protest is amazing and it’s great that the Venezuelan people are able to speak out about the oppression they are enduring online.

    Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/08/12/social-media-reacts-charlottesville-protests/562461001/

  4. This article is so true and so relevant to all that is going on today in the world. With hurricane Harvey in Texas, to the whole travel ban situation. It is great that through social media, people can have their voices heard. Below is a link of the posts people had during the travel ban to protest it. These are just a few of the many examples of social media linking people together from all across the globe. Now, with all that is going on in Venezuela, the evidence just becomes clearer. People may try to say there are many cons to social media, but the fact of the matter is, when used correctly, is the most efficient way to have a voice heard.

    http://observers.france24.com/en/20170705-americans-grandparents-social-media-trump-travel-ban

  5. The idea that social media can be used to facilitate the voices of the oppressed to be heard is incredible in today’s global society. Social media gives the people a way to hold powerful individuals and groups with influence accountable for their actions, as information of their misdeeds can quickly be spread throughout the masses. To me, it is scary that countries who censor social media such as China, Venezuela, Cuba, etc. are able to do this so easily. For in my opinion, countries are groups which people belong to and share the same history, and government is merely the legislative body in which the voices of the people are allowed to hold sway in public discourse. For countries to censor those voices, is an attack against their civil rights, and I hope the day comes when everyone is allowed to voice their opinion, even if it may be controversial.

  6. This was a very enlightening article. In my opinion, social media is a great platform to inform individuals all over the world about the event occurring in Venezuela. In an article, I read by Venezuela today, the people of Venezuela are using social media as an outlet for their frustration with their country. But, what started as an outlet has turned into a way for citizens to communicate with the outside world. Like mentioned in the article the power of social media is huge. The fact that a few Venezuelans could post about essentials they can’t get access to and a whole movement could blossom from there speaks volumes. Some individuals like to argue that people use social media too much, but in this case, the more the Venezuelans use social media the higher their chances of receiving aid.
    http://venezuelatoday.net/lacking-basic-supplies-venezuelans-turn-to-social-media/

  7. The power of social media truly is incredible. It gives the typical person a voice that can reach thousands and millions across the world. This post is a perfect example of a situation in which social media can facilitate a rise against an overruling government. It is reassuring for Venezuelans to see that their voice is being heard all around the globe in spite of the government trying to block all of their media. Additionally, social media has created an outlet for Venezuelans to “product swap” since they are going through scarce times. While it can be dangerous to meet up with individuals in order to trade goods, in some cases, it is the only option people have. Utilizing Twitter and Facebook for this swapping program is just another example as to how social media can be an aid during unfavorable times.

    Source: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/06/14/venezuelans-give-social-media-new-spin-product-swapping.html

  8. I love that your post highlights the positive aspects of social media! I wrote a post earlier that had a more negative stance, and I know a lot of people in the comments were disagreeing with the statements of the article. I definitely think that social media has positive and negative effects, and both the article I posted and the articles you referenced show two sides of social media. In no way do I despise social media; in fact, I like it so much it’s an area I’d be interested to work in. I think one of the biggest things about social media is that it is powerful, and power often has drawbacks and advantages. In an article for the New York Times, Farhad Manjoo states how the election of Donald Trump as the President of the United States was due in part to social media efforts, which replaced traditional campaigning efforts in the most recent election. Social media provides a voice to those who would like to share their opinions to the world, and I think it provides a great platform for conversation. If anything, social media has definitely made our generation more socially conscious and aware, because we use these platforms to discuss issues that concern us every day. Again, there will always be downsides to any system. For example, Manjoo mentions in his article that the Islamic State often uses social media to recruit members to their cause. Ultimately, I would argue that we shouldn’t focus on whether social media is good or bad. The facts are, it is here to stay and it has power. The true focus should be in harnessing that power to do better things.

    Manjoo, Farhad. “Social Media’s Globe-Shaking Power.” New York Times, New York Times Company, 16 Nov. 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/17/technology/social-medias-globe-shaking-power.html. Accessed 31 Aug. 2017.

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