Digital Literacy at Full Sail University

. On January 25, 2011, Egyptians took to the streets in  Cairo, Alexandria, and some other places in the so called Day of Revolt, concentrating their  grievances on legal and political matters. Rather than a typical small protest, the Day of Revolt  exploded into a monumental moment in Egypt's history because of social media. Social media  did not cause Egypt's revolution; however, it accelerated the movement. Viral videos, such as  Asmaa Mahfouz's, and the suicide of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia created a surge of emotion in  Egyptians, persuading them to protest.  Egyptian protestors used Facebook and Twitter to get people out on the streets within the  country and YouTube to let the world know what was happening. By using tools that the regime  underestimated, activists were able to spread hope, not only to Egyptians, but also worldwide,  encouraging other repressed populations to attempt something similar in their countries.  Because of the protests, President Mubarak stepped down and turned his power over to the  Supreme Council of the Armed Forces; however, at the time of publication, protests continue in  an effort to speed the process of what many Egyptians see as extinguishing the last remnants  of the old regime. Without social media allowing Egyptians to communicate with the outside  world, the government would have been able to quickly suppress the protests.