Although Iraqis are newcomers when it comes to using the Internet — since they were not aware of the diverse services of the web prior to 2003 — the Internet has quickly transformed into an important and inseparable part of the lives of Iraqis, especially the youth. In light of the unstable security situation and the absence of a genuine civil society in the country, social networks — Facebook in particular — have afforded them a space to present their views regarding the situation in the country and organize protests against the ongoing setbacks they face in their everyday lives.
The people of the Middle East have discovered a new use for social networking, which was something that those who created these networks had not considered. They transformed social networks into a "protest square," rather than just being a network of relationships and friendships between individuals. Accordingly, when you enter into the Middle Eastern "world" of Facebook, you see that it is full of political and social content, particularly that which criticizes the prevailing political, social and religious situation, in addition to the affairs of everyday life. Thus, these networks have dramatically contributed to the success of the Arab Spring revolutions, which has resulted in some calling them "Facebook revolutions."
