The Emergence Of Social Networks And Microblogs In China And Its Potential For The Future

Social networks are becoming an increasingly important way for people around the world to engage with one another. With this change, the method by which information is disseminated is becoming quicker and even more dynamic. Leading the charge in the development of social networks are online communities (Facebook), blogs (Wordpress), and microblogs (Twitter).The new revolution in online media has created an amazing method for people to interact. Never before have the general public been able to spread information so quickly and so efficiently. Furthermore, this allows regular people to have access to their own audiences and essentially become reporters. With feedback, it creates a reward loop that allows members of an online community to instantaneously converse and exchange information.This online revolution has led to various outcomes. In most western countries such as the United States, information spread throughout social media adds to the overall information available in the world and no matter the content, reflects the ideals of free speech. This free speech has not impacted any governments in the Western (mostly democratic) world. Yet in other parts of the world, the freeness of the online community has posed a major problem. With the Arab Spring Uprising in early2011, social media, for the first time, was responsible for major political changes in various countries. As a result, undemocratic societies such as Iran and China have sought methods to curtail the spread of information through social media. In China, popular social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been banned. In their place, the Chinese version of Renren and Sina Weibo have emerged. Online social networks in China represent a change in civil society, public discourse, and technology usage. For many, it is a chance to stay close with loved ones and make new friends all through the easy click of a button or the use of a phone. Many factors that contributed to the rise of social networks in China were similar as in the rest of the world. Yet social networking usage in China has taken a different path from the rest of the world due to the political climate, culture, and better acceptance of technology usage. Aside from connecting with friends and family, social networks allow the regular Chinese citizen to have a voice in a society more known for its uniformity than its individuality. Furthermore, social networks and microblogs can be used in cases of a disaster or even by the Chinese government as a more efficient method of communication.While the Chinese government does realize the potential danger in giving every one of its citizen a voice, it realizes that if it suppresses people’s need for social networks, it would probably be a losing battle and drives the online civil society into a more underground realm. By allowing Renren and Sina Weibo to exist, the government gives its citizen avenue for airing grievances, all while keeping a close eye on anything that might become too incendiary. This is very much analogous to releasing a bit of steam from a pot of boiling water so that it does not blow over.Despite the Chinese government’s effort to completely control social networks, Renren and Sina Weibo are still very much having a transformative effect on society. The evolution of microblogs on social networking sites are changing the way information is consumed and spread. Individuals can become reporters and all actions by the government can be scrutinized, effectively forcing the Chinese government to become more responsible than before. Furthermore, microblogs are improving the confidence of the regular citizen, encouraging him to speak his mind more in order to be heard. All of this bodes well for the future of development of social media in China and the evolution of civil society.