Facebook and YouTube Will Reduce Islamic Extremism

In many parts of the Middle East Islamic extremism is a problem. Hezbollah, Hamas and many mainstream mosques in Saudi Arabia indoctrinate their young from an early age. In many cases they teach hatred of the west and Israel, the “infidels” of the world. We are painted as heartless, unjust and immoral people.  Not knowing any better, many children in the Middle East believe what they are told. Think of it from their perspective, their teachers, religious and community leaders whom their parents and neighbors respect, surely wouldn’t lie to them.

Maybe, just maybe, Facebook and YouTube will encourage the offspring of Muslim extremists to dismiss the beliefs of their forefathers. An open, accessible web offers young Muslims the opportunity to peer into our society and examine it for themselves. YouTube is an easy, fun way to do this. Everyone loves videos, music and laughing which YouTube is great for. After observing our society through video and perhaps even watching some people their age in this country behaving in similar ways that they do, laughing, playing, enjoying life, they will likely begin developing a sense of empathy for our people and way of life.

Similarly, as Facebook spreads around the world and becomes the global social network it has the potential to become a shared experience upon which we can draw. Two things are particularly interesting:

1. Facebook can be a tool to communicate with and better understand people from other societies. One way this is playing out in my life is via Texas Hold’em Poker on which I play with people from all over the world. Being in a virtual room and interacting with Russians, Chinese, Iraqis, etc helps drive home the idea that we really aren’t that different from one another. I bet people from other countries are coming to similar realizations.
2. As everyone’s childhood friends travel through a global society, they take us with them. This gives each one of us a view into cities, countries and ways of life that we previously didn’t have access to. Seeing our friends in those societies helps us understand and develop empathy toward them.

In the case of Muslim extremism, Mark Zuckerberg during his keynote at SWSX gave an example of this already happening in Lebanon. Apparently some Lebanese Muslims are already getting a taste of the west through the experiences and development of their friends who move to Europe and the US.

The bottom line is that the internet is a powerful medium which is bringing the world closer together. The impact of services like YouTube and Facebook may be profound.

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