Iran & Twitter

I don’t plan to dwell on it today, but whatever happens in Iran, the world will have changed.

History is unfolding before our eyes, & we on twitter & other social media have been privileged to have witnessed it firsthand 12-24 hours before traditional media seemed to have any clue as to the enormity of events there.

Not only that, but the openness & worldwide reach of twitter has meant that we can not only follow events but actively PARTICIPATE: showing support by changing our avatars, spreading information from Iranian protestors & leaders on the frontline, & even sharing information with them.

Whatever the outcome there I hope that many positives will result from all this.

First of all, twitter & social media has now come of age. Even international news media like the BBC have had to acknowledge its pre-eminent role in reporting these events as they happen. It is now the primary media for sourcing & spreading information, & even for influencing the events themselves.

Secondly the mass communications between twitter users of Iran & the West can only serve to break down barriers between peoples who have been opposed to each other for so long. For many years Iranians have lived in an anti-Western culture. In our reaching out to support them in their struggle to have the Government they voted for, it may be seen that we in the West are not all devils after all. We in turn I think are also seeing that Iranians are not necessarily so different to us.

Bridges have been built, connections have been made, barriers have been broken down.

Obviously there are other serious issues involved, but whatever our differences we all share a common goal of wanting to be free to live the life we choose.

Whatever the outcome I think we can all come out of this realising we have more in common than we had realised, & that can only be a good thing.