“The Trend” in Yemen

Have you ever found yourself suddenly interested in a debate? Perhaps you wouldn’t have cared if it weren’t for everyone discussing it on social media, or you might not have even known it existed without these platforms!

What about the “words” or “phrases” written or spoken by “so-and-so”? This person could be well-known on social media, or perhaps will become so because of it!

Do you feel compelled to share your thoughts, whether as an opponent, a supporter, or a supporter of the opponent and an opponent of the supporter, on a topic that might not even be significant, or sometimes it is?

This is what “hot topics” or even “trending topics” do. This is, by the way, the old term for what is currently known as a “trend.” Each time a heated discussion opens up on social media, it gives rise to what is called a “trend,” which lasts until it is replaced by another topic that steals and repeats the same discussion and interest, and so on... A trend is like a bubble that forms quickly but dissipates just as fast.

Unlike other countries where trends are more commonly found on X (formerly Twitter), Yemeni trends are active on Facebook, primarily because this platform is the most popular in Yemen.

The majority of Yemenis rely on social media as a primary source of news and information, with Facebook ranking first in their interests and usage, followed by WhatsApp and then X.

Despite this, social media has successfully clarified how Yemeni citizens think, free from any political, social, or intellectual pressures. It has also become an effective pressure tool for voicing issues and ideas that could easily be forgotten for various reasons, including political, social, or even economic ones.

Social media has created an important outlet where users can express their opinions, ideas, and sometimes feelings in a space of their choosing, determining its format—whether through text, images, videos, or various other forms of expression that have become available.

Moreover, social media has built a bridge that did not exist before its emergence, connecting Yemeni citizens with decision-makers (and decision-makers here are not just politicians) and individuals in various roles. This was clearly evident recently when some social media users influenced the decision of Ibrahim Al-Bakri, who pardoned his daughter’s murderer, Hussein Harhara, sentenced to death for killing his child, Haneen, following an argument sparked by a traffic accident in the Al-Mansoura district of Aden.

Ibrahim Al-Bakri held firmly to his decision for retribution until the very last moments. However, some social media users had a different opinion, which led them to exert significant pressure on Haneen’s father. They even succeeded in changing his mind—albeit at the last minute—resulting in his decision to pardon his daughter’s killer! Here, we truly realize the impact of social media in Yemen.

“At a time when all our old beliefs are collapsing, and the old pillars are falling one after the other, we find that the (struggle of the masses) is the only force that cannot be threatened by anything. The era we are entering now is indeed the (age of the masses); the destinies of nations are no longer determined in the councils of rulers, but in the spirit of the masses.”

This statement was part of what the famous French thinker, Gustave Le Bon, wrote in his well-known book “The Psychology of Crowds,” long before social media emerged, which has activated this great and formidable power known as the “social media audience.”

So, how will things be now—and perhaps in the future—as these platforms continue to penetrate Yemeni society more and more? Well, I will leave it to your imagination.