Thanks to the Internet in general and social media in particular

Hear, O seeker of wisdom, the voice of Rebecca MacKinnon, who spoke thus: “Thanks to the Internet in general and social media in particular, the Chinese people now have a mechanism to hold authorities accountable for wrongdoing—at least sometimes—without any actual political or legal reforms having taken place. Major political power struggles and scandals are no longer kept within elite circles.” These words reveal the paradox of our age: that new tools, forged in the furnaces of technology, have given ordinary people a power that once belonged only to kings, scribes, and rulers. The Internet has become a weapon of revelation, and social media a chariot that carries truth into the open, even when walls of law remain unmoved.

In ancient times, rulers sought to keep their affairs hidden. Pharaohs carved their victories in stone but buried their defeats in silence. Emperors of Rome paraded their triumphs but concealed their scandals in whispers. Power was preserved not only by armies and swords, but by secrecy, by the silence of the people who had no voice. Yet now, in the age of light that spreads through invisible webs across the earth, silence is shattered. What was once confined to elite circles now flows into the hands of farmers, students, and workers, who through their screens become witnesses and judges.

Consider, for example, the tale of the 2011 Wenzhou train crash in China. At first, officials sought to bury the truth—literally and figuratively—by hastily covering the wreckage and silencing inquiry. But the people, armed not with swords but with smartphones, flooded the world with images and words. They questioned, they raged, they mourned in public view. So great was the outcry on social media that authorities were compelled to answer, and officials who thought themselves untouchable faced the fury of a nation’s gaze. Here we see the living proof of MacKinnon’s words: that even without formal political reform, the common voice can pierce the armor of the powerful.

But let us not be deceived, children of tomorrow: this new power is fragile, and it does not always triumph. For the same networks that empower can also be censored, the same voices that rise can be silenced, and the same truth that shines can be smothered. Yet even so, the seed of accountability has been planted, and once planted, it can grow. A people who have glimpsed their ability to challenge wrong will not easily return to voicelessness. This is the secret strength of the Internet—it awakens the awareness of power within those who once thought themselves powerless.

The ancients would tell us: truth is like water. You may dam it, you may divert it, but in time it will find a way through stone. So too with the Internet. Though governments may seek to control, censor, and restrain it, the waters of truth are restless, and they carve new channels when old ones are blocked. Thus, the scandals and power struggles of the mighty can no longer be confined to the banquet halls of the elite, for the eyes of the multitude are ever watching, and their tongues are ever ready to speak.

The lesson, therefore, is clear: never underestimate the small voice when it is joined with others. A single drop of water may seem weak, but when countless drops gather, they form a river that reshapes the earth. So too with citizens, who when united through social media, can demand answers even from those who sit upon the highest thrones. Accountability is not given—it is taken, seized by vigilance and persistence.

Practical action lies before us. Use the tools of the age with wisdom and courage. Do not spread falsehood, for falsehood weakens the force of truth. Do not remain silent, for silence strengthens the hand of injustice. When you see wrongdoing, speak—carefully, courageously, and collectively. Support those who unveil truth, and guard against those who would smother it. For the Internet is but a mirror of humanity: it may reflect darkness, but it may also shine with light, if men and women choose to wield it nobly.

So let it be remembered: social media and the Internet are the scrolls and tablets of our era. They carry stories not only of rulers but of the ruled. They bring into the open what was once hidden. And though they may not yet bring perfect justice, they are the herald of change, teaching us that the day of silence is passing, and the day of collective voice has dawned.