RAPID: Citizen Use of Social Media in the Egyptian Uprising

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

The purpose of this RAPID proposal is to investigate questions surrounding the use of social media during the current political crisis in Egypt. From a research perspective, the case of Egypt is unique in the unprecedented scale, role, and rapidity in which media is being used in organizing and reporting on events. This project will develop software that will perform ongoing data collection of information about the Egyptian uprising and use a combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques to analyze the data. Because events in Egypt are transpiring rapidly, it is imperative to capture data relevant to current events immediately. Though studies have examined social media use in crisis settings, this research setting is distinctive in several ways. First, the scale and rapidity of mobilization in the current Egyptian setting in conjunction with the role of social media is unique and may be indicative of the future role of social media. Second, most studies focus on a single type of media, such as blogs or Internet forums, and this study will examine different social media and will try to understand what function each had in the current setting. Third, it will study how information was globally communicated despite the fact that the Egyptian government installed a "virtual curfew" on the Internet and satellite phones. This research will focus not only on technical features of the applications but also on social and cultural issues involved in social media use in crisis settings. Broader Impacts. By understanding how social media is used for mobilization and communication during a major disruption in society, the project will contribute knowledge about the role and potential of social media. By examining how such information can spread outside of a "blocked" society, it has strong implications for understanding the role of social media in promoting democratic voices in a society. Though the proposed data collection infrastructure is geared towards events related to Egypt it can be applied to numerous other countries and events, ranging from political crises to natural disasters, to national elections, and more. The project will provide infrastructure that will allow people from all over the world to view the data, gain firsthand reports on what is happening in another country and provide commentary and discussion. It will be a valuable teaching device to expose young people to current events in other countries.