10 Years after the Arab Spring: The Dark and the Bright Sides of Social Media

This article provides a commentary on the special issue of “Digital Journalism” on “10 years after the Arab Uprising”. It highlights the role of social media in facilitating the Arab Spring Movements that erupted in 2010s. The commentary recognizes the evolving political dynamics of the Middle East and the rise of digital authoritarianism in the region. It portrays both the dark and bright sides of social media a decade later of Arab uprising, highlighting the way it is reshaping journalism practice, activism, public’s consciousness, engagement, and their usage of social media tools.