Question

Read the excerpt from "The Role of Social Media in the Arab Uprisings" by Heather Brown, Emily Guskin, and Amy Mitchell.

Social media indeed played a part in the Arab uprisings. Networks formed online were crucial in organizing a core group of activists, specifically in Egypt. Civil society leaders in Arab countries emphasized the role of "the internet, mobile phones, and social media" in the protests. Additionally, digital media has been used by Arabs to exercise freedom of speech and as a space for civic engagement.

Now, research is emerging that reexamines in a more detailed way the role that social media played in the Arab uprisings.

In July 2012 a report was published by the United States Institute of Peace based on an extensive content analysis of bit.ly links from the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Bahrain. Bit.ly links, or short URLs, are predominantly used in social media such as Twitter. The authors came to some conclusions that countered the initial assumption that social media was a causal mechanism in the uprisings.

Which statement best evaluates the effectiveness of the evidence in the text?

The argument is convincing because the authors use varied forms of relevant evidence, including well-researched studies and verifiable data.
The argument is convincing because the authors use varied forms of relevant evidence, including eyewitness accounts and personal anecdotes.
The argument is not convincing because the authors support their points only with their own opinions, which is not sufficient evidence to support the claim.
The argument is not convincing because the authors focus only on facts and data related to bit.ly links and Twitter usage, which is not sufficient evidence to support the claim.

Answer 1

Very quickly after the Arab uprisings started, there was banter over the job and impact of web-based social networking in the topple of Tunisian president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and the unavoidable upset of Mubarak.

In covering what some regarded the Facebook or Twitter unrests, the media concentrated intensely on youthful dissenters preparing in the roads in political resistance, cell phones close by.

Web based life for sure had an influence in the Arab uprisings.