The “Occupy Movement” is an international protest movement driven by people’s discontent with social and economic inequality. This paper is based primarily on Mark Earls book 'Herd', particularly his research regarding how “All mass behavior is a result of interacting individuals within a specific context” (Herd 2009 p.147). It will examine social media’s ability to magnify how word of mouth can influence mass behavior also considering Seth Godin book “Tribes” in this context and the increased speed at which this can happen due to social media (Godin 2008). The paper discusses how the Occupy Movement was partly inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings which had already demonstrated the power that social media can have on mass behavior throughout 2011. “We use Facebook to schedule the protests, Twitter to coordinate, and youtube to tell the world” was exclaimed by a Cairo activist to convey how they were leveraging social media to their advantage during the riots in Egypt (Casilli & Tubaro 2011). Social media refers to the use of both web-based and mobile technologies to allow people to communicate with each other and build relationships. Micro blogging sites such Twitter fall under the large scope of social media, as do social networking sites such as Facebook. Since the advent of Smartphones, people have access to social media sites at all times. People often look to Twitter for news first as updates about current events often appear on Twitter before they appear on major news outlets, The paper will discuss both the advantages of disadvantages of how social media can be utilized by the people involved in protests or riots by comparing the Cronulla riots of 2005 against the London riots of 2011 when social media was much more accessible and common place. The paper will also look at how the Occupy Movement spread across the world very quickly and discuss Occupy Wall Street’s future from the view point of it being a brand. It will conclude by showing that the Occupy Movement can attribute its growth and participation to social media’s effect on mass behavior, and in particular why Twitter is largely responsible for its success.
Table of Contents
1. Abstract
1.1 Keywords
2. Acknowledgements
3. Introduction
4. The Occupy Movement
4.1 The Arab Spring Influence
4.2 Motivations behind Occupy Wall Street
4.3 The Spread of the Occupy Movement
5. Social media
5.1 Introduction to Social Media
5.2 Facebook
5.3 Smartphones
6. Twitters Influence on the Occupy Movement
6.1 What is Twitter?
6.2 Raising Awareness of the Occupy Movement
6.3 Organisation of the Protests
6.4 Sending Updates during the Protests
7. Consumer Decision Journey
8. Mass behavior
8.1 Word of Mouth
8.2 The Influencers
9. The Down Sides to Social Medias Influence on Mass Behavior
9.1 Cronulla Riots
9.2 London Riots
10. Has the Occupy Wall Street movement been successful?
11. The Future for Occupy Wall Street
12. Conclusion
13. References
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper explores the role of social media, specifically Twitter, in the success and rapid expansion of the Occupy Wall Street movement. It aims to analyze how social media platforms act as catalysts for mass behavior, organization, and information dissemination, while examining the movement through the lens of brand development and social influence theory.
- The impact of social media on mass behavior and social mobilization.
- The influence of the Arab Spring as a blueprint for protest organization.
- Twitter as a tool for raising awareness, coordination, and real-time reporting.
- The conceptualization of the Occupy Movement as a modern "brand."
- Comparative analysis of social media utilization in protests and riots (Cronulla vs. London).
Excerpt from the Book
6.3 Organisation of the Protests
During the Egyptian Revolution of the Arab Spring a Cario activist exclaimed 'We use Facebook to schedule the protests, Twitter to coordinate, and youtube to tell the world' (Casilli & Tubaro 2011). Twitter was also integral in the organisation and coordination of the Occupy Movement protests. The hashtag #occupywallstreet was not only a name for the first protest in Zuccotti Park; it is also an instruction for how people could get involved. “#occupywallstreet; Are you ready for a Tahrir moment? On Sept 17, flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street.” (Adbusters.org 2011). After this declaration of intent on the Adbusters website in July of 2011, the organisation of the Occupy Wall Street protests was split between, both the Adbuster.org and OccupyWallst.org websites and the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.
In the previous section, this paper discussed how the protestor’s utilisation of the hashtag on Twitter was a very important part of raising awareness of the Occupy Wall Street Movement. However, what helped the movement to rally so many people to their cause was the content of these tweets and retweets other than the trending hashtags. It is very easy to compose a tweet or retweet a message in support of anything on twitter, but something about the content of the messages on Twitter regarding Occupy Wall Street inspired people to turn up in person to the protests in Zuccotti Park by expressing both the motives for the protests and organisational tweets so that people would know where to go and what was going on.
According to (Winans 2012), the dramatic increase in tweets and retweets regarding Occupy Wall Street during and after the 17th of September were likely to be largely organisational in nature.
Summary of Chapters
1. Abstract: Provides an overview of the paper's focus on social media's role in the Occupy Movement and its impact on mass behavior.
2. Acknowledgements: Mentions individuals and institutions that supported the author in completing the research.
3. Introduction: Introduces the origins of the Occupy Movement and the theoretical framework regarding "connectors" and mass behavior.
4. The Occupy Movement: Examines the inspiration drawn from the Arab Spring and the motivations behind the Occupy Wall Street protests.
5. Social media: Defines social media and explores the roles of Facebook and smartphones in facilitating rapid protest growth.
6. Twitters Influence on the Occupy Movement: Analyzes Twitter's specific functions in raising awareness, organizing protests, and providing real-time updates.
7. Consumer Decision Journey: Applies marketing frameworks to explain the Occupy Movement's success as a modern brand.
8. Mass behavior: Discusses the psychological foundations of mass behavior, word-of-mouth marketing, and the role of social influencers.
9. The Down Sides to Social Medias Influence on Mass Behavior: Compares the use of technology in the Cronulla and London riots to illustrate the risks associated with social media.
10. Has the Occupy Wall Street movement been successful?: Evaluates the movement's success in terms of raising awareness and achieving specific political and social changes.
11. The Future for Occupy Wall Street: Discusses the movement's future and the challenges posed by the "filter bubble" in digital information flow.
12. Conclusion: Summarizes the key arguments regarding social interaction, social media amplification, and the shift towards new democratic structures.
13. References: Lists the academic and media sources utilized throughout the paper.
Keywords
Social Media, Mass Behavior, Egyptian Revolution, Arab Spring, Twitter, Smartphones, Facebook, Flickr, Filter Bubble, Civil Violence, Occupy Wall Street, Word of Mouth, Social Influencers, Brand, 99%
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the intersection of social media technology and protest movements, specifically analyzing how Twitter facilitated the success and global spread of Occupy Wall Street.
Which central thematic fields does the author address?
The research covers social psychology in the context of mass behavior, the evolution of protest organization, digital marketing frameworks applied to activism, and the influence of information communication technologies.
What is the primary research question or goal?
The goal is to determine how social media, particularly Twitter, acted as an "accelerant" for the Occupy Movement and to evaluate whether the movement can be understood as a brand that influences mass behavior.
Which scientific or theoretical methods are employed?
The paper utilizes qualitative analysis, referencing theories of mass behavior from scholars like Mark Earls and Seth Godin, while applying a consumer decision journey framework to explain social movements.
What key topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the Arab Spring's influence, the functional use of Twitter and Facebook during protests, the comparison between protests and riots (Cronulla vs. London), and the future of the movement given the "filter bubble" phenomenon.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Social Media, Mass Behavior, Occupy Wall Street, Arab Spring, Twitter, Social Influencers, and the "Filter Bubble".
How did the Arab Spring influence the Occupy Wall Street movement?
The author highlights how the Arab Spring demonstrated the power of social media for organization and publicity, providing a structural and inspirational template for the Occupy Movement.
What role does the concept of a "brand" play in this paper?
The author argues that Occupy Wall Street functions as a brand, using social media tools to challenge the status quo and maintain engagement with followers, similar to how successful commercial brands operate.
What does the author mean by the "filter bubble"?
The filter bubble refers to the tailoring of internet information by algorithms, which limits the diversity of content users see and poses a challenge for social movements trying to reach a broad audience.
- Quote paper
- Finbar O' Grady (Author), 2012, The Success of the Occupy Wall Street Movement due to Twitter, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/229553
