Because of it being scholastic journalism week, I am dedicating my blog to the first amendment and how it is manifested in technology. Recently the middle east has been exploding in peaceful revolutions Egypt, Algeria, and Iran to name a few. The organization of these demonstrations has been through popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. So clearly, these sites are a valuable tool to anyone who values their free speech simply for the fact that you can get your voice heard.

That being said, Facebook and Twitter also are a great enemy to authoritarian governments worldwide. Shutting off the internet(which Egypt did) is the only way to stop their viral spreading of ideas and demonstrations. People today are more empowered than ever before because of technology. The internet has paved the way for worldwide democracy; common people are becoming journalists in their own right and this is, again, only made possible through technology. So remember that Facebook and Twitter aren’t just sites for chatting with people, they are so much more.