South Africans are using Twitter to distribute information, share opinions and mobilise one another during the current public service strike, says World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck.
On Friday, a nurse calling herself AndyWandy on Twitter made news headlines, tweeting from within a hospital during the strike:
“They [the strikers] are back, going through the wards, busy breaking down security gates. I think I will have to go hide in the toilet,” she said.
A little while later, she stated: "I am safe outside! One of the scariest moments of my life. The poor, poor patients. I was safe, because I dressed like a doctor and put a stethoscope around my neck. Wow."
This up-to-the-minute eye-witness news is now available through social media, and Goldstuck says that during the strike social media, particularly Twitter, is being used to distribute not only news headlines from the media, but also more specific information - such as which particular schools are closed, which hospitals may be dangerous, and accounts from on the ground.
“Twitter also mobilises people to help, as people are very quick to get caught up in the emotions of their Twitter streams.” says Goldstuck.
He likens the overall atmosphere of social media during the strike to that of talk radio - filled with dismay and horror at the behaviour of the strikers. There is a strong moral underpinning to people's viewpoints, which encourages action, he says.
According to Trendsmap.com, which provides Twitter trending topics by city, “strike-hit” is trending across SA. The words form part of a Times Live tweet telling people how to volunteer at strike-hit hospitals.
Twitter's reach is limited, according to Goldstuck, because it is still mostly used by people in the media and IT industries of SA. Facebook, on the other hand, is used by half of the country's Internet population, but does not have the same kind of impact as Twitter.
“Many Facebook groups have been started to protest the strikes,” says Goldstuck, “and these give people an outlet for their outrage.”
However, it's not as easy to get caught up in the action as it is on Twitter, where users have access to more information from more sources instantaneously, he explains.
“With Twitter, people can follow a stream of comment and info. With Facebook you're following people you know. Twitter lets you see the broader picture.”
The limit of social media during the strike action, according to Goldstuck, is that government institutions don't pay attention and the unions only use social media to mobilise their members. While the typical union member is not on the Internet, says Goldstuck, an increasing number of teachers are, but have not used it to directly engage with the public.
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