The history of the Internet over the past few decades has been defined by the explosion of social media that created seemingly un-limited ways for people to participate in the growing online dialogue. From commenting to blogging, from posting videos to social networking, from Twitter to TikTok, media pundits and scholars hailed the emergence of the social Web as a step toward creating a more egalitarian platform where everyone’s voice could be heard, where digital networks replace social movement organizations, and Big Data can represent societal practices.
In today’s social movements in the Global South – from Kenya and Nepal to Madagascar and Indonesia – has GenZ youth using discord, TikTok and other investigative digital tools to expose corrupt governments. But it is essential that we uncover what is happening on the ground beyond the algorithm. What is new? Successful social movements have always incorporated innovative uses of communication tools. There have been a lot of social movements in the Global South that have not been covered in Global North media outlets. What makes this different? That they are happening in multiple countries? The Global North is not experiencing democratic movements so is inspired by them? What is the view from people locally in these countries? Whose online voices are we hearing and whose are absent?
My scholarship has challenged overly simplistic digital democracy claims. The digital divide still trumps digital democracy. The Internet is not making [all] social movements more democratic. And Big Data is too small.
Most research around digital democracy arguments tends to ask how the Internet shapes society, so society is the dependent variable. Instead, I turn the question around and ask how does society, as an independent variable, shapes how technology is used. We need to do that now, and the youth in these countries have a lot to tell us how to do that.
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