The use of social media in Arab countries was the topic of healthy debate on Wednesday night.
Students gathered in the HUB Auditorium for the third annual Oxford Debate sponsored by the Schreyer Honors College.
The debate featured six total panelists with two students and one faculty member on each side, Presidential Leadership Program Director Melissa Doberstein said.
The question of the night’s debate was: “Did the advancement of social media cause the Arab Spring?”
Doberstein kept track of time during the debate, said Presidential Leadership Program and faculty members kept count of the people for and against the motion.
Doberstein said students who chose to sit on the left side of the auditorium were for and the right were against the motion.
Students were asked at the end of the debate to fill out cards with their opinions on it to get an accurate read of how many have changed their mind.
Jill Armington, a member of the Scholar Advancement Team that cosponsored the event, explained the Arab Spring revolution includes three countries — Libya, Tunisia and Egypt. Although she said she stands neutral, Armington (junior-sociology) said that democracy is finally spreading, which is why the revolution was given the name “spring.”
“The debate is about whether or not web resources, such as Facebook or YouTube, is the cause,” Armington said.
Amit Schejter, professor in the College of Communications and panelist, said he wasn’t nervous about defending his opinion.
“I’m only nervous when the Phillies play,” he said jokingly.
During the debate Schejter, who was against the question, brought up statistics and how underprivileged countries do not have much access to the Internet.
“What we call digital devices is one of the social [and] economic differences,” said Schejter.
Student and panelist Brenna Thorpe disagreed with Schejter.
“Not everyone has access to the Internet, but thousands show up for protests through Facebook,” Thorpe (senior-public relations and communication arts and sciences) said.
“Social media are responsible for the Arab Spring,” Thorpe added, who was also on the panel for the motion. “Social media helped to create the rage, anger and unrest of people,” she said.
The results of the debate will be posted today on sch.psu.edu/events/oxford.cfm.
