Social media may be only hope in Afghanistan. As I watch the video of Elaha Mahboob below, I am again struck by the large social impact that the United States has had on the overall culture of Afghanistan. There are facets of their lives that have undoubtedly remained the same such as the employment prospects of the majority of people. As the United States prepares to remove its presence from Afghanistan there are many who feel that their culture will move to purge all of the impact of America and the war that has been fought for years. With more traditional male dominated anti-technology factions taking control of the country. I think that the more that the internet and connections to the world are maintained the less likely this is. In the past, all forms of media could be more easily controlled by a government. Now with social media at the disposal of every citizen, it would seem a nearly impossible task to control the media messages and keep the citizens in Afghanistan living in a society where peoples rights are ignored. Elaha Mahboob is a woman who lives and works in Afghanistan, and the video above shows you that she believes that the culture of that country is well on its way to providing equality for women. Clearly English is not a language that she speaks fluently, but her message is relatively hopeful. She is a woman who follows her interest and is in the minority of women in Afghanistan because she is literate and educated. It is by allowing women like her to live and thrive openly in society that others will learn about the rights that all human beings are born with. Women have been denied their ability to make even the most basic choices about their lives because from an early age they were denied an education and taught that they were second class citizens with no hope of accomplishing anything at all. With a connection to the world with social media, the world will be able to monitor the atmosphere in Afghanistan after the American troops have been withdrawn. It is through this connection that the real education of the people of Afghanistan is going to occur. They will be able to see how other cultures live and value each other, and maintain a connection with a modern way of thinking. Once the seed of equality is planted in enough people, it will be impossible for any government to deny it completely. All attempts at this will end in failure. Social media is the best hope for a free and developed Afghanistan, and to help build the ideas of equality for women, and education of women.
Social Media Vital to Afghanistan's Future
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