In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the world is reeling from the realization that Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and the blogosphere can be used to topple governments previously in power for decades. But how much credit is due to the social media itself, instead of the passionate activists connecting to each other and organizing their movements online?

The intricate relationship between the internet and activism was discussed by a series of experts on July 13, when the New America Foundation held a conference entitled “How to Ignite, or Quash, a Revolution in 140 Characters of Less: The Promise and Limitations of New Technologies in Spreading Democracy.” Although the conference focused on revolutionary activism, the conclusions reached by the panels apply to anyone who uses the internet as a way to generate social change.

Jubilant protestors thank the Facebook Youth of Egypt in this picture, tweeted by NBC’s chief news correspondent Richard Engle

The Distinction Between Facebook and Facebook Youth

After the fall of Hosni Mubarak, N.B.C.’s chief news correspondent Richard Engel tweeted a photo of joyous Egyptian activists holding up a sign written entirely in Arabic except for the word “Facebook.”  Rebecca MacKinnon, Senior Schwartz Fellow at the New America Foundation and the co-founder of Global Voices Online, pointed out that the media’s translation of the sign as “Thank you Facebook” left out a crucial part of the message.  “Thank you Facebook youth of Egypt” is the complete translation of the sign. The distinction between Facebook and Facebook youth, MacKinnon explained, is central to understanding the role that social media has played in revolutions across the Arab world. Although the youth were able to organize themselves via Facebook and other websites, the ultimate action of taking to the streets was what generated the change that they sought.

Similarly, panelist Ahmed Al Omran, a blogger from Saudi Arabia who runs Saudijeans.org, recounted the story of Saudi women who used Facebook to organize an effort to begin driving. Approximately one hundred women corresponded online for two months, after which they all broke social norms and drove. The women did not only use the internet for organizational purposes, but also uploaded pictures, videos, and messages showing them driving to encourage other women to do the same.   Connecting via Facebook when they could not meet in person gave the women a forum to plan coordinated action.  Like the Facebook youth in Egypt, however, the women ultimately took their plans from the cyber world to the real world, and that was the true action of change.

Protestors confront government forces in Syria

Social Media Doesn’t Create Voices, It Amplifies Them

Oula Alrifai, a Syrian youth activist, spoke about the importance of social media in informing the international community about what takes place under oppressive regimes. Because the sparse internet and phone connections in Syria are largely monitored by the state, activists risk their lives to cross Syrian borders into Jordan and Lebanon to upload videos of government soldiers firing on protestors. Oula explained that without Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook, the world would know much less about the Syrian government’s actions against its own people.

In the repressive state of Cuba, blogger Yoani Sanchez uses the internet as a way to tell her story to the outside world. Translated into a multitude of languages and read around the world, her blog at desdecuba.com provides a window into the realities of life in Cuba. Although she has been forbidden to travel by the Cuban government, Yoani says that her voice can travel the globe through her blog.

What Does That Mean for Me?

Activists fortunate enough not to live under repressive regimes can still learn valuable lessons from the experiences of Aula, Omar, Yoani, and the Facebook youth of Egypt. Their stories show that internet is a tool unrivaled in its ability to bring like-minded people together, spread information, and provide an open forum to debate controversial opinions. Just as women in Saudi Arabia used social media to organize an effort to gain the right to drive, activists can use the internet as a way to connect and circulate petitions or organize events. By updating a Facebook status or retweeting breaking news, any citizen can help spread awareness of atrocities around the globe. But despite the power of bringing people together online, taking action from the cyber world into the real world is still the surest way of generating social change.