The role of cyberspace in shaping and guiding socio-political action; Case study: Tunisia and Egypt

AghaNabi Qolhaki, Ali

doi:10.22034/jgeoq.2025.470941.4125

The role of cyberspace in shaping and guiding socio-political action; Case study: Tunisia and Egypt

Author

Ali AghaNabi Qolhaki

Master's student in Political Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/jgeoq.2025.470941.4125

Abstract

Over the past decade, social media platforms have emerged as crucial arenas for the expression and expansion of public dissent, particularly in the Middle East. One of the most prominent examples of this trend is the role of social media in the 2011 Arab Spring movements, especially in Tunisia and Egypt. This study seeks to answer the question: How did various social media platforms influence political actions in these two countries? The primary objective is to analyze and explain the mechanisms through which these platforms contributed to the formation and spread of protests, and how they enabled citizen participation in the digital public sphere amid intense political repression. The central hypothesis of the research is that social media played an active role in political mobilization in Tunisia and Egypt by capturing public opinion and facilitating the coordination and dissemination of messages. This qualitative study relies on documentary and library-based data and utilizes tools such as note-taking, tables, charts, and maps to collect and analyze information. The findings indicate that social media, especially in the early stages of the uprisings, acted as facilitators in organizing and rapidly spreading information. However, they were not the root cause of the revolutions. Rather, they served as powerful tools that enabled political activists and ordinary citizens to accelerate mobilization, coordinate actions, and share information. The case studies of Tunisia and Egypt demonstrate that social media can empower ordinary citizens to play a direct role in political discourse and information dissemination.

Keywords

Political action

Arab Spring

Tunisia

Egypt

social networks

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