Assessing the Impact of Social Media and State Surveillance on Urban Protests

Network analysis demonstrating the connections between Telegram channels, particularly those focused on advertising events. They are categorized according to their role as “aggregator” channels, neighborhood-specific channels, and protest-type specific channels. Size of circles corresponds to number of links to that channel (degree), while lines indicate a relationship (a link to a channel) between one channel and another. Credit: Andrew Stokols

Published

August 8, 2022

How have new digital media platforms and technologies shaped and influenced how and where protests and public demonstrations occur? And what do the changes in location and method of demonstration imply for the future of urban social movements and, more broadly, the use of public space?

In a new paper for Urban Geography, Andrew Stokols leverages network analysis and spatial analysis to consider how new social media technologies, strengthening of state surveillance of physical as well as digital space, and collective learning from the perceived failures of past movements influenced the 2019-2020 protests in Hong Kong. Learn more via Stokols' full paper, "From the square to the shopping mall: new social media, state surveillance, and the evolving geographies of urban protest.”

Stokols is a doctoral candidate whose research interests bridge political economy, history, urban design, and science and technology studies. Learn more about his background and current research, here.