Is Social Media Changing our Lives?

The Online Collaborative at the American University of Beirut announced a conference “Social Media Changing Lives”. This conference was handled yesterday Friday, Dec.16 at ISSAM FARES HALL at AUB. The conference gathered over 30 influencers from the Arab community and special performance by some of Lebanon’s most talented musicians. The aim of this conference was to discuss how social media is changing fields such as education, culture, business, media and journalism, music and art, NGOs, politics, religion, human rights, science, the environment and the personal lives of everyone who is using them.

The conference started 12 pm and finished 9 pm. I arrived 4:45 pm, I entered quickly and sat on the left side of the Hall. Maan Barazi, editor at e Business Lebanon, was talking about blogs, facebook, twitter and other social media networks. “I don’t know if social media is changing our lives or we are changing social media,” Barazi said, “really I don’t know what is real and fake on social media,” Barazi added. Maan Barazi explained that the media content is non-credible. The best thing in this conference is that every speaker has a 10 minutes speech and this makes the conference more active. Kamal Chelhot, marketing director at L’Orient le Jour, asked the government about the 4G network connection that would let the users download a movie in 6 seconds. A comedian show was performed by Malek Teffaha, or the owner of the apple as he said. He was so funny. The audience t laughed loudly when he was performing about the social media. Indeed, Esraa Haidar, owner and manager Consult-E Marketing, informed how she used social media to tell how she is discriminated and rejected because she is veiled. They all had a story to share. And you also can share yours, speak loudly with no borders and say what you want with no fear. Did the social media influence the “Arab Spring” or the political decisions? A question I want to share.

A Blog Became a Book

It was around 5 pm, we waited for Nasri Atallah and finally he appeared. He entered with a smiley face, the same face expressions when he was signing his first book in a Pub in Beirut. Nasri Atallah, a blogger, an editor and a writer, was born in London. He finished his high school here in Lebanon then he went back to London. He worked in a private Bank for two years and a half, then he dived into advertising. His father is a journalist, so he came back to Lebanon to arrange a new magazine project that didn't arise.
Nasri chose to start blogging. "I posted what annoys me,"Atallah said. From blogger, to facebook, twitter and flicker, Atallah used the social media networks to say what is in his mind. Atallah was shocked from the thousands of responds he received. "I have lovers and haters," Atallah notified, "but the haters are funny," he added. Nasri Atallah posts for Lebanese who don't live in Lebanon and have an obvious view about Lebanon. "My friends suggested publishing a book," Atallah said. Atallah got lazy about publishing, then he searched for a publisher to start publishing his book and he did it. Atallah published his book "Our Man in Beirut...collected rants" and signed it last week. "A blog became a book," Atallah said loudly, "I will publish a book every year," he added. Nasri Atallah now works as an editor, he edits English novels.