In the debate on the topic ‘Be it resolved that social media inhibit the sociopolitical change,’ my speaking position was the first speaker who provided the opening statement for the opposition team. To discuss against the proposition, we predicted what issues that another team might use to claim their standpoint, at this same time, I tried to point out issues that our team can take benefits from and state them in the opening statement to lead the discourse to our advantageous track. We drew the point that social media has been used as a tool for coordination and contributions of voices of the population without political intervention. Regardless of Dean’s perspective that highlights the individuality of voices, we argued by referring to the volume of content people have made online which we believe the high column conveys large impacts and raises social awareness.
In response to Dean’s article, my understanding of the context hasn’t changed much at the end. Dean’s provides both instances to the subject but his dominant viewpoints benefit the ‘for’ team rather than the opposing view. Therefore, I biassedly disagree with his opinion in some contexts. However, after I have listened to other team’s arguments on this topic, I tend to agree that in some situations, such as in Ice Bucket Challenge phenomenon, people did not pay attention to the actual results and that is when social media became merely a platform for message circulation. Plus, the subjectivity of the topic raised an objection to the quality of the impact as mentioned to the Egyptian revolution.
In Castells’s debate, the proposition side emphasized the function of online platforms that allow people to access and transmit political information and views. In this manner, the internet users contribute the awareness which leads to sociopolitical changes as Castells exemplifies in the Egyptian Revolution. This case, in particular, that fact that the revolution had still proceeded nonetheless, even though the government permitted the use of the internet, brought me an idea that changes take place in different forms and in dissimilar conditions. Yet, social media remains part of it.
The distinctive difference between Dean’s and Castells’s is that Dean makes his strong standpoint and gives many examples to support his views while Castells mainly disposes of the relationship from the Egyptian Revolution. Besides, their positions to the social media and sociopolitical change contrast. Therefore, these two articles contribute to different perceptions which are not comparable.
Throughout the debate, I still believe that social media plays an important role in sociopolitical changes, but the volume of impact may depend on each different setting, situation and political purpose. However, I also found that the active change in the current sociopolitical environment is challenging to create, and requires more than an online stream but political power and influence.
Works cited
Dean, Jodi. “Ch.1.Technology: The Promises of Communicative Capitalism.” Democracy and Other Neoliberal Fantasies: Communicative Capitalism and Left Politics. Duck University Press, 2009. 19-48.