Dubai: The Arab Social Media report, which surveyed more than 7,000 users from 18 countries and launched at the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit, found that social media has an impact on communication, knowledge and entertainment in the Arab World.
When it came to communication, those surveyed believed that social media in the Arab world has allowed for more freedom of expression. The report found that freedom of expression was more noticeable in Levant countries than in the remaining regions.
In the Arabian peninsula, social media is also believed to have been used in certain Arab countries as an enabling tool for political purposes, swaying the behaviour of the youth in favour of political gains, for example, the Arab spring in Tunisia and Egypt.
The report said social media also had an impact on career opportunities as it allows one to find professional contacts and career opportunities through networking.
It was found that Arab users from North African countries such as Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria were the most keen among other regions on career networking through the use of social media platforms such as LinkedIn.
It also opened opportunities for just about anyone in the Arab world to start up their own business. This aspect is seen to be more relevant for the Levant, followed by North African regions in particular, with less mention in the Arabian Peninsula.
Although youth believe social media can inject much into their lives, many across all regions believe social media has also had a rather negative impact on youth.
Users said the most worrying consequences of the excessive use of social media are on family relationships and communications.
These worrying signals are mostly felt in the North African region, with some mention in the Levant region as well.
Some of the other negative consequences among youth are believed to be: acting older than their age, limited contact with parents, adopting Western culture and degradation in the level of education.
Impact of social media on businesses
Organisations throughout the Arab regions have adopted social media in their business at a different pace, believing it has a great power in impacting business growth.
Across all the surveyed Arab regions, it was noticed that Arabian Peninsula businesses are rather early adopters of social media as opposed to the remaining Arab markets.
The level of adoption is somewhat lower in the Levant region, followed closely by North Africa.
The report found that the most-used social media platforms in businesses were Facebook (for advertising and sharing information), WhatsApp, Viber, Skype (all three are used as a communication channel within businesses), Twitter (sharing quick, short information).
Social media can also have negative consequences on businesses, the report found. It was seen to have a certain negative impact at work such as creating inaccuracy in information for planning and strategies by companies. These doubts are mostly manifest in the Levant region, and in some North African markets.
Overall, social media throughout all the markets — and specifically in the Arabian Peninsula — is seen as a double-edged sword. If the right content is not communicated to the customers, there is a risk of tarnishing company reputation.
Stock exchanges in particular are highly affected by rumours spread on social media, and this in turn could have an indirect effect on the economy, the report suggested.
