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THE AND HOW IT

GLOBALIZATION IMPACTS CITIZENSHIP

OF AND EDUCATION

SOCIAL MEDIA SHERRY HAYES-PEIRCE

Te worldwide availability of the Internet and the use of accessibility. Te report indicated almost half of the countries
technology have shifed the way we communicate, shattering provided limited access while only 28% of the countries
the long-standing modes and expectations for interaction. provided total access to the Internet.
Research suggests this is profoundly evident with the emergence
of social media as a communication tool for sharing everyday
life and world events via social media posts. Tis ability to Freedom on the Internet
share experiences with the world contributes to globalization,
the process of interaction and integration among the people,
companies, and governments of diferent nations, a process 23%
driven by infuencing economic, political, social, or educational
change and aided by information technology. Social media is 49% INACCESSIBLE
powerfully impactful for connecting us in humanness versus
nationality. A hallmark example of this is Malala Yousafza, the LIMITED 28%
youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and her courageous fght ACCESS TOTAL
for the right of girls to be educated to ISIS’ use of social media to
recruit and radicalize terrorists. Tis social media phenomenon ACCESS
creates important considerations for educators, administrators,
and students for shaping campus culture, social media policy,
and online learning. While some governments embraced and encouraged the use of
Technological Impact the Internet by not imposing limitations on the users’ freedom
In “Te Political Power of Social Media”, Shirky (2011) outlines of speech to communicate and express their opinions, other
how the use of modern texting via cell phones empowered governments attempted to block Internet usage by controlling
the people of the Philippines to organize a protest against the fow of information with potential to shape perceptions,
eforts to protect their former President, Joseph Estrada, from much like the days of the Cold War propaganda (Yigit &
prosecution during his impeachment trial. Some 7 million Tarman, 2013).
texts were sent, sparking the convergence of protestors whose As social media sites like Facebook emerged, increasing the
very presence impacted the outcome of the trial and “marked number of people able to connect across the globe, countries
the frst time that social media had helped force out a national like China blocked their citizens’ Internet access. However,
leader. Estrada himself blamed ‘the text-messaging generation’ China’s citizens created alternative sites like Baidu, Ren Ren,
for his downfall” (p.1). Weibo, and YouKu which are Chinese replicas of Google,
As the Internet and more technological developments emerge Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Te replicas all originated
and become accessible, anyone who can gain access can report, from college campuses much like their Western counterparts.
share, inspire, and spark action by posting on a social media In addition, King, Pan, and Roberts (2013) fnd that Chinese
site. As a result, the number of people using the Internet to bloggers employ satire to convey criticism of the state in
seek and share information has grown from the millions to order to avoid harsh repression. Esarey and Xiao (2011) noted
the billions, inspiring many to become activists. Tat said, party leaders most feared the combined eforts of infuential
although countries around the world have access to the “netizens” (Internet users) to force the government to modify
Internet, some countries limit their citizen’s accessibility. In policy, but identifed these pressures as criticism of the State.
“Freedom on the Net 2013: A Global Assessment of Internet Yigit and Tarman (2013) argued that the aim of censorship is
and Digital Media,” researchers reported the freedom of to constrain the mobilization of political opposition, but the
accessibility on the Internet for 60 countries. Te results examples outlined suggest critical viewpoints are suppressed.
revealed that Iceland ranked highest for providing the most In Syria, where Internet access is even more restricted than in
accessibility to its citizens, while Iran ranked the lowest in China, their citizens used cell phone video features to transmit

LEADERSHIP Vol. 22.1 Spring/Summer 2016 31

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