Since the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution, civilizations across the globe have come under the strain of complexities owing to a glaring phenomenon popularly known to the masses, especially to the youth bulge, as social media. With the whopping ratio of its carriers (users), particularly on account of the age from 12 to 30, this phenomenon is making the youth bulge angrier, meaner, and more aggressive. Not only just that, but it has, in other words, become a pile of garbage. By this, is meant those with fake identities, bots, and the likes. It is vital to mention that the utilization of social media, so far, has not ended up bearing productive gifts for the masses. It has, however, made the identity of individuals vulnerable.
It may not bother someone if someone wills to modify the fourth industrial revolution with the digital revolution – which currently is in full swing. After the advent of tech-giants, mainly Facebook and Twitter, the dynamics of struggle as well as resistance against oppression, brutalization, injustice, and violence have dramatically changed. It is pertinent to point out that struggle and resistance have been part of civilizations before the invention of social media, but the form in which they were carried out was by paper or document, if one was to consider the media used. One must pay fervent gratitude to the Chinese for that.
Unlike previous societies’ struggle in the form of protests, where the role of men was prominent, the struggle of today is predominantly youth-driven. This segment of society across the globe belongs mostly to the middle class. This stratum knows full well how to channelize its potential to get its voice heard by the authorities concerned. Owing to this phenomenon, social media makes for an easy medium to hunt authorities and highlight issues of minuscule and gargantuan nature.
The wielding of this sword has become a commonplace against political intrigues, political patronage, judicial pitfalls, social and economic discrimination, religious fanaticism, human rights abuses, child abuse, domestic violence, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, land mafia, tribal scuffles, structural embezzlement, interstate conflicts, and discriminatory and oppressive laws.
Political chicanery spoils youth protest behaviour. By using cyber tactics, politicians threaten theyouth bulge with multiple threats owing to their and family security. The youth bulge can churn out productive outcomes in relation to protest behaviour regarding political, social, economic, mental, problems across the globe if managed and sensitized properly and rationally
Startling it may seem, but there are some examples deemed fit to the aforementioned menaces. In the pattern of citing examples, stands the Arab Spring first. At the fag end of the 21st century’s first decade, Tarik Al-Tayeb, a Tunisian citizen, set himself on fire upon being wrongly jailed by the Tunisian police and beaten for no earthly reason in the very least. This sparked wide protests in Yemen, Syria, Egypt, and Libya with the hope to topple oppressive regimes. It was social media that helped the movement gain global attention. The majority of protestors were youth. Starting from Tunisia, the movement ended with the toppling of Ghadafi, Morsi, and Ben Ali. It was the youth who challenged the authorities, and thanks to social media the movement came to fruition at last for some nations.
The second in the list of examples is the popular Chilean women protest in 2019 against sexual harassment. The movement started off in Chile and reached the far corners of Berlin, London, Mexico, New York, Paris, and Barcelona. With the help of social media, the movement became global. The young women demonstrated for their fellows in Chile and stood in solidarity with them.
The third in the list of examples is Pulwama Attack in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan and by the Indian Air Force in February 2019. In the aftermath of the attacks, social media was engulfed with jingoism for a limited nuclear war. The youth on either side of the border were engaged in jingoistic conversation for a month over the intrusion. Youth in war situations are an extremely vicious lot. Patriotism indubitably knows no boundary between ethics and law.
The fourth in the list of examples is recently organized protests in Gwadar, Balochistan. The one-month-long protest, unfortunately, did not get any national mainstream coverage. There were civil society organizations, human rights activists, and youth activists who took the mantle for the cause of Gwadar via social media and, at last, the CM of Balochistan bothered to tend to the wounds of the masses.
In a few exceptional cases, the youth bulge is prone to political manipulation in the form of reciprocal altruism. This practice occurs when the elections are near. Under the garb of reciprocal altruism, the youth bulge is abysmally exploited. This section is told to launch a social media campaign by politicians against their rivals in elections. This way they are clouded by uncertainty.
The above have chalked out two aspects of social media and youth protest behaviour as per historical and contemporary case studies. Now let’s critically analyze what is pounded out above.
Social Media is undoubtedly a gigantic platform with numerous dribs and drabs attached. If it is associated with youth and protest behaviour, it becomes convoluted. Psychologically, studies have discovered that humans are driven by emotions rather than by logic and rationality. On account of social media and the youth protest behaviour, it is critically important that the individual (user) ought to be media-literate and must have knowledge about human behaviour. With both secured, the youth can sift through situations rationally and develop their independent protest behaviour.
Had Pakistanis and Indians been media literate and well-equipped with certain traits of ethics, they would not have acted out of jingoism for military solutions. It is essential to point out that political chicanery spoils youth protest behaviour. By using cyber tactics, politicians threaten the youth bulge with multiple threats owing to their and family security. The youth bulge can churn out productive outcomes in relation to protest behaviour regarding political, social, economic, mental, problems across the globe if managed and sensitized properly and rationally.
Chronicles in comparison with social media and the youth behaviour paints a sorry picture of their relation. Like a wedding couple, they experience fortnight scuffles from time to time. After some time, they make up and the placid environment prevails. But if it keeps going on like that, they might divorce one another in the end. Long story short, understanding either of the elements critically and logically will make their relation prosperous. In other words, the youth bulge will have to understand the nature and potential of social media in order to conform with it thereof.
