Social Media: The Liberalization of Society

This final post focuses on the impact of new communication technologies on cultures. It's no secret the world has become one big village. Anyone can have a live face to face conversation with anyone via skype or any other video conference provider (and there's plenty). Cultural globization is the rapid tranverse of ideas, attitudes and values across national borders. This sharing of ideas generally leads to an interconnectedness and interaction between peoples of diverse cultures and way of life (wisegeeks). So, what does this have to do with politics? In general, populace in developing countries have started demanding their politicians, and government redress many of the social issues plaguing them. They may have gotten the idea for a better standard of living from watching television, internet, and probably social media interactions. The governent of Iran experienced quite an ordeal in their attempt to stiffle dissent, and opposition after the controversial presidential election in 2009. Though the government patrolled the airwaves and the internet with an iron fist, yet the real stories and footage of what was happening inside Iran appeared on YouTube, and Facebook daily. In Communist China workers are currently battling the government for a set minimum wage. Social medias has helped growing social trends such as political activistism, humanitarianism, and environmental conscientious that transcend borders. This begs the question; does social media accelerate the liberalization of society, if so how do politicians react?