Online: a new way to protest

As censorship in many countries has prevented people to express themselves and show others what it is going on, You Tube has become an  effective channel to protect the freedom of expression.

Sometimes, just uploading a simple video through the Internet is enough to reach million of persons and start a massive reaction. This was the case, when protesters in Venezuela started using YouTube to create awareness about the political situation of the country.

As an example, we can talk about the video uploaded called “What is going on in Venezuela in a Nutshell” which has more than 3 Million views. This video was uploaded by a venezuelan student living in US who used videos and photos from social media to spread a reality that was censored.

Other social media that have become efective channels to protest are Facebook and Twitter.

For example, #PrayforVenezuela has become a Trending Topic during massive protests in this country.

The support of celebrities through their Twitter account has also helped to increase the awareness of Venezuela and something that started with a few words become viral in a few days.

On Facebook, the possibility to join groups who share the same political point of view has helped to organize massive protests in Egypt, Venezuela and Argentina among others countries.

Understanding how the people use social media to express their feelings and find support in others persons is vital nowadays to understand the real situation of a country.