There is a very interesting problem here. The fundamental reasons might have little to do with the use of social media except as way of people being able to receive the information which in it self may explain the cause of these revolutions. I really think what is needed is a content analysis of Wikileaks. There was a news article i read which might have been in the NYTimes some time back which pointed out: A lot of material in the famous release of u.s. secret cables by various diplomats and officials confirmed in the mind of many Arabs, especially the young ones, the real extend of corruptions among the leaders and their accumulation of wealth as a result of their leadership positions. While this was felt it was never really proved in the minds of these people until they could read it online or in circulated copies of materials downloaded by others. I did think this was a cause that was worth considering for the Arab Spring. Given they already did not trust their regular news sources Wikileaks was considered a more trusted source. I would like to see a real content analysis of Wikileaks to compare to other explanations for the Arab Spring. -- -- *Distinguished Professor Emeritus Information Systems, NJIT homepage: http://is.njit.edu/turoff *