Facebook is Taking Over Iraq

Today, 13 May, 2011 and time is 10:30am, Facebook global audience reached 666,855,500. This figure is changing every moment. Thousands of new users login to their newly opened pages. Millions of groups and pages from various countries, nationalities and ages have been created serving numberless purposes.  

According to informal statistics Middle East population in 2010 was estimated to be 212,336,924, from which 29% of the population or 63,240,946 had access to Internet. This data is certainly changed along the internet users.

Most of this huge number, use internet to contact one another through social web pages. Facebook and twitter, as two most widely used social web pages, are taking over and succeeded in attracting large numbers of people.

The use of internet in the Middle East is growing rapidly. Part of the reason is the web designers and ISPs provide more service through better managing plans and using advanced technologies. Perhaps, resent political upheavals, as many suggest, is to be another motive for this ever fast growth of internet users.

Anonymous users are supervising demonstration and inform the world right in front of their PC screens. Revolts in Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria added a new meaning to this and led many to call this age “the age of anonymous cyber revolutions”. 

Iraq, as part of the image, is ranked as one of the countries in which in spite of inappropriate internet services, daily thousands of new users join this undeniable revolution. After April waves of demonization that stroke Iraqi cities, bloggers and Social Media activists and users have surpassed all limits. Changes and needs led to the establishment of the Union of Iraqi Bloggers and most newly establishment of the Iraqi Network for Social Media activists.

This shift from traditional media has greatly affected Iraqis. Facebook is the most discussed word among Iraqi youths and internet users. Some are proud to be called bloggers or Facebookers and they call their generation, “the most connected and informed generation” because of the blessings of the internet.

While we were preparing this report, 776,640 Iraqis were using Facebook which is equal to 0.12% of globe population. Meanwhile, 74.7 % of Iraqi Facebook users are male from different ages, 25.3% or 195,480 reaming is female. This figure from, checkfacebook.com/ show male, female and age distribution of Iraq Facebook users.  

Figures suggest, with better internet services internet users in Iraq will definitely increase. Though many still argue for and prefer traditional media, Facebookers and other social web page users rebuff them by their daily growing number. Facebook with its 2000+ employees, 500+ million active users and from the 700 billion minutes spent on Facebook, Iraqis have decided to take an active part.   

by: Student Eye