Communication Dynamics in Political Protests

The video discusses the role of social media in recent global protests, highlighting how movements like the Arab Spring and Occupy used these platforms to spread their messages. It introduces the concept of 'slacktivism,' where low-commitment social media users are often criticized for not being genuinely engaged. The research presented examines the role of these slacktivists in raising awareness and supporting protests, using the Gezi Park protests as a case study. The findings suggest that while a core group of committed participants is crucial, the periphery of less active users also plays a significant role in spreading information and supporting movements.

Which of the following protests is NOT mentioned as using social media to spread their message?

• Spanish Indignados

• Occupy movement

• French Revolution

• Arab Spring

What term is used to describe social media users who are perceived as having low commitment to political causes?

• Activists

• Slacktivists

• Protesters

• Followers

What was the main research question regarding slacktivists?

• Do they help raise awareness or just engage in feelgood politics?

• Are they more active than traditional activists?

• Do they participate in offline protests?

• Are they more influential than media outlets?

In which country did the Gezi Park protests take place?

• Spain

• Hong Kong

• Turkey

• Egypt

Approximately how many tweets were analyzed in the Gezi Park protests study?

• 30 million

• 20 million

• 10 million

• 40 million

What is the structural signature of communication dynamics in political protests?

• Neither a core nor a periphery

• A core of highly committed participants only

• A large periphery of low commitment participants only

• Both a core of highly committed participants and a large periphery of low commitment participants

What role do low commitment participants play in spreading information?

• They only spread misinformation

• They do not contribute to spreading information

• They generate as much information as the core participants

• They generate less information than the core participants

What does the study suggest about the periphery of networks?

• It should be ignored

• It is less important than the core

• It only spreads false information

• It is crucial for the viral spread of ideas

What is necessary for a protest or social movement to grow?

• Only a core of highly committed participants

• Only a periphery of low commitment participants

• Both a core of highly committed participants and a periphery echoing information

• Neither a core nor a periphery

What is the relationship between leaders and followers in social movements?

• Leaders are more important than followers

• Followers are more important than leaders

• Followers cannot exist without leaders

• Leaders cannot exist without followers