Facebook Kills in Saudi Arabia!
In August 2007, a young Saudi woman was beaten up and shot dead by her father for chatting online with a young man on Facebook.
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Indeed, this is a very shocking incidence, but sadly to say, it is kind of expected from such a conservative culture in Saudi Arabia. Most interestingly that this incident had happened long ago but it just was reported recently on a Saudi Arabian news site
I believe Saudi individuals start to find value in social media as an effective tool to discuss some controversial social issues that have been never discussed before in traditional media. Not only posting issues online, but they are also sharing and exchanging opinions. Educators in Saudi Arabia believe in this powerful tool (social media) in altering some behaviors and beliefs in the society; I believe that the first thing to do if you want to change the society’s flaws is to talk about them freely and to allow others to share their opinions and to find values in their entries. Gradually, social media will gain more consideration and hence the impact will be tremendous in altering many misconceptions. But the question here is what empowers the other? Is it the power of people and their constant use of the Internet in big numbers that empowers social media and make it valuable? Or is it social media and its amplifications? I believe the effect is reciprocal. What is important here is the result of this collaboration in which it will change and correct societies.
Tharaa
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5 Comments, Comment or Ping
Hisham
Social Media became a very dangerous weapon, and should be used well.
Apr 16th, 2008
sharlen
Hi Tharaa,
Thanks for sharing the shocking news.
Even in a conservative country like Saudi Arabia, people are still using social media as a method to communicate and taking it as a tool to reach out. Actually, it is a great news, because like what you said, the best way to change a society is to have people be alert about it and be able to talk about it. This kink of communication and discussion would be much harder on traditional media. Eventually, with technology’s help, walls would be broke down.
Apr 17th, 2008
Michelle
Just months ago, a teenager here in the US committed suicide because someone, purporting to be someone else, had written a nasty letter to her on MySpace.
And then there are pedophiles lurking in cyberspace.
It’s true — social networking sites are not all that grand and may even do harm.
I’ve been a victim of crimes that involved digital media — I will not go into details — but it was a criminal case that lasted more than 3 years and went to the supreme court. Since then, I’ve encountered several other individuals who have endured similar experiences. So, while I get excited about technological advancements & new tech trends, I truly value and try to protect my privacy — which is why I spend as little time as possible on social networking sites. I have an aversion to web cams, don’t like blogging, I sometimes flinch when I see my name or picture on Facebook, and I hate Twitter. I’m beginning to loosen up now, just a tad. I just hope that kids these days will be sensible about revealing too much information about their personal lives. Too much of a good thing can be detrimental, like the sun, calcium, or Vitamin C. The social web certainly has its dark side.
Apr 18th, 2008
Annie
I don’t necessarily agree or disagree with any of the comments, but I do think that no revolutionary medium has ever survived without some controversy associated to it. I’m sure there was violence, human right issue, etc. when controversial movies entered the marketplace. There’s always going to be events that are completely unjust, but like sharlen says above, walls will eventually be broken down once social media and networking sites mature in existence. As for Michelle’s point, I don’t think social networking is neither good nor bad. Rather, it’s what you make of it. If privacy settings work for you, great (I personally am careful in how much I reveal as well). However, the beauty of social media is the freedom of expression. If someone desires to make their personal lives public, so be it. Some users may be young (ie. teens), but they are the generation that will pave the movement. Without a balance of users (those who are liberal with information and those who are not), social media would not exist.
Apr 18th, 2008
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