Internet use in Mexico has doubled in the last six years, including many new members to Twitter. The tables turned when an active blogger contributed to a chat room discussing tips about the drug cartels in Nuevo Laredo. Maria Macias urged others to post tips to help stop the cartels through social media until her mutilated body was found in a busy intersection with her keyboard and a message threatening others who chose to do the same.
Social media gave the community a chance to communicate quickly and what they thought was annonymously. The cartels already have significant control over other media such as local newspapers, television and radio stations. The newspaper Macias worked for wrote a small story about her death, and did not mention her name.
Social media sites offer hotlines for tips going directly to the army or police, and while this gave citizens a way to help stop the problem it also gave the cartels a new target to focus on.
When a country is in turmoil, how can the good members of social media not be silenced by the evil?
Source: Yahoo! New: Tech: Social Media
"Mexican social media boom draws drug cartel attacks"
Carolyn C
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3 comments:
This is so scary. It makes me very grateful for the freedoms we have in the U.S. Without the press and social media, it seems like there can be no end to the violence in Mexico because we barely know what's really going on there.
Really sad to hear about such a tragic event. It's good that internet use in Mexico has doubled. As we all know it will take unity in numbers to stop the violence.
This relates so directly to me, I'm from a small town in Mexico where it's devastating how often shootings and dead bodies are found. It makes me sick how much control the cartels have been able to acquire through intimidation. I really hope something is done to help soon.
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