Social Media Bring Changes to Saudi Arabian Culture Why is Arabic the fastest growing language of all time on Twitter and Riyadh ranked #10 globally of the cities with the most tweets? What is behind such a rapid growth of this increasingly tech-savvy population? As of mid-2014, the social media penetration in Saudi Arabia included 88 percent on Facebook, 81 percent on Twitter, and 78 percent on Google+. Each day, more than 90 million videos are viewed on YouTube, more than 3 million people are on Twitter, and more than 840,000 are on LinkedIn, with email usage becoming passé. It is clear that not only do these platforms present important avenues for international businesses to communicate and engage with customers, but also that cultural and lifestyle factors are involved. Because 70 percent of the Saudi population is under 30 and most own smartphones, many are turning to Twitter and YouTube out of boredom with the severe lack of entertainment; there are no cinemas, theaters, or bars and little to interest them in the newspapers or television. In addition, social interaction is closely monitored and restricted by patrolling religious police. For most young people, then, Twitter represents an avenue of escape from the lack of social freedom and legal restrictions on freedom of assembly or association, especially for women. Gender separation is enforced, and women cannot interact with men, go to an appointment, travel, and so on without permission from a male guardian, often accompanied by him. However, by using Facebook, Twitter, and other outlets, women and men can at least step around the morality police to have conversations with one another and, perhaps, get to know each other for a future relationship. In addition, more open dialog between men and women has changed the power structure and created opportunities for everyone to participate in a broad array of roles. Nevertheless, although most people consider the use of social media a positive and legitimate means of communication for everyone, some women still feel they are betraying the morals they have observed all their lives and are embarrassed to admit to virtual conversations with men. However, the young people are not the only ones using Twitter; the use of such media is spreading to all sectors of society—government officials, the royalty, sheikhs, and those in industry. In addition, the Saudi government, which is an absolute monarchy with no parliament or political parties, does review online activity to gather intelligence and monitor public opinion. As such, there are lines that cannot be crossed, such as criticizing religion or allowing accounts that promote adultery and homosexuality. On the other hand, it has become apparent that government authorities can conceal little because information is now rapidly disseminated through social media, so now those authorities are more likely to use the media to give their version of events or updates to get ahead of the rumors and, in particular, quell political dissent. Clearly, social media have presented a virtual world as a force for modernity in Saudi Arabia and cause powerful interactions with cultural mores; it is a matter of personal judgment whether those changes are viewed as progressive, but it is also clear that there is no turning back. Questions 1. Discuss the role of social media in societal culture. Is this virtual world, with no geographic boundaries, presenting a normalizing effect across those boundaries? Is that a positive or a negative effect? 2. Is societal culture and lifestyle as intricately intertwined with religion in your country as it is in Saudi Arabia? 3. Discuss other countries where social media are having a radical effect on cultural expectations. Deresky, Helen. International Management (p. 75). Pearson Education. Kindle Edition.