THE ROLE OF TWITTER HASHTAGS IN GULF STATES

Abstract

Traditional and state-controlled media in the Arabian Gulf have always been censored and controlled. Therefore, social media, such as Twitter, have replaced the traditional media and the way media is handled. Twitter has become an important tool in many places worldwide because of the existing censorship on state-owned media, the ease of use, and the rapidity of publishing information on Twitter as opposed as to other media forms. Thus, with Twitter being one of the most widely used social media, the use of the hashtag symbol too became a crucial and important tool for many Twitter users. This research aims to emphasize the use of Twitter hashtags, the implications it will have on a particular topic, how people on Twitter interact and communicate, and effectively make their voices heard. Thus, in many cases, hashtags have led to effective dialogues and responses. Furthermore, in this case, while individuals commonly use it, it is not limited to them. Organizations and different institutions use Twitter hashtags. Examining Twitter hashtags draws attention towards a specific issue, which cannot be undermined or neglected. Because of its importance, the Twitter website itself, has designed a tool to show the most “trended” or most talked-about hashtags in a particular city/country. This is important because it tells us what people are interested in, and it draws attention towards certain issues and matters. Therefore, people debate and talk about the most trended topics and hopefully contribute to it and draw attention, or change the outcomes.