Mobile Social Resistance
A very interesting article appeared in this week’s Economist concerning developing communication technologies and their impact on social resistance in China. Anonymous text messages helped fuel and organize a protest against the construction of a massive chemical plant in Xiamen, a coastal city already feeling the burden of increasing urban pollution. The ability to quickly disseminate messages and assemble demonstrations without a distinguishable culprit for the Central state to detain will continue to plague the CCP as increasing numbers of people become more savvy with mobile and Internet technologies. Wider access to variegated news sources and information technologies are expanding at an unprecedented pace. China’s online Internet population is soon set to eclipse that of the United States. It seems only a matter of time before larger social movements fueled by digital communication forums unfettered by censorship begin sweeping the country – they have become for many the only medium to voice grievances against corruption and other vices perpetuated by rapid and often unchecked economic development.