Despite the multiple social media sites and apps available today,it seems to me that in Kuwait specifically, Twitter still occupies a strongposition for heated debates and criticisms on important issues of concern tocitizens here, especially those related to government administration and itsinstitutions.
Is it because people can post any sharp or negative comments evenwhen knowing that there is a law that could prolong their punishment? There’slots of good about Twitter, but there’s an undeniably darker side to it too.What is the secret behind the power of Twitter in Kuwait?
I do not follow all social media daily, but I carefully follow thediscussions and comments on Twitter about issues that concern Kuwaitis,especially hashtag campaigns. I believe that it is very important to know howpeople look at things and what they really feel. Twitter has changed theway people deal with the good and bad news in their lives. It has createdorganized opposition campaigns through hashtags. Official news is usuallypublished everywhere, but Twitter reflects people’s thoughts. The Twitterhashtag today is a powerful tool that greatly facilitates interaction anddiscussion on current topics.
Also, Twitter has been used to raise awareness of political topics,spread political messages and criticize political performance. This has oftencome through specific campaigns. One of the most recent examples is #canceldebts– people use the hashtag to campaign against the heavy debts of citizens. ThisI think created a new civil rights movement. But this also came with a price,because some people became targets of abuse by anonymous users.
The huge number of Twitter users has a powerful impact, because oneperson may write or say something, but the world can have an opinion onit. Twitter is an infinite space for freedom of expression. Twitter boasts 330million monthly active users (as of Q1 2019). Countries with the most Twitterusers in 2019 are the United States, Japan, United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.
The thing that I noticed on Twitter in Kuwait is that those who areknown as influencers on other social media sites do not exist on Twitter,because Twitter is often a sharp political platform and there is no room foradvertising or marketing for products or restaurants. Twitter has become amajor means of communication not only in Kuwait, but in other Gulf states too.Non-profit organizations can communicate with their customers, while governmentagencies can announce their latest services and decisions.
For instance, a decision by the Kuwaiti government to grant a loan to a country can lead to a heated debate, because people feel that they have needs too and want the government to listen to them and help them achieve them. The blue bird platform is an easy window to vent their anger and express their opinions, whether positive or negative. I hope that officials do not only look at the news but also the important comments that accompany it. Twitter is the pulse of the people.
By Muna Al-Fuzai
muna@kuwaittimes.net