Social Media and the Changing Face of Rationalist Dissent in Iran: Lessons From the 2009 Presidential Election.

摘要

This paper seeks to analyze the ways in which new media is becoming the preferred vehicle for rationalist dissent to religious authoritarianism in Iran, and how that evolution has taken place from the introduction of the printing press up to the so-called "Twitter Revolution". Broadly accessible and independently reproducible media has greatly impacted the development of Islamic constitutionalism in the Middle East and the face of dissent within these countries. For the most part, these platforms have contributed to the debate on human rights and liberties, particularly inside of Iran, however there are several indications that these mediums---including Twitter, YouTube and Facebook---exacerbate vulnerabilities in these movements. As if the potential exploitation by government intelligence services of these sites wasn't enough, these mediums also feed a trend of "slacktivism", allowing the empathetic masses that may support these objectors to lazily feign interest in the cause rather than contribute through action. Furthermore, with such a democratic, grassroots network accessible to the masses, it is difficult to determine who, if anyone, to follow. By looking at how the vehicles of rationalist challenge have metamorphosed and how influence is measured in this new technological landscape, these objectors are better able to make an impact.