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The role of social media in civil unrest

Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from a contributor to InmanNext, a real estate agent-focused channel that is a part of Inman News.

By MATTHEW SHADBOLT

The recent footage of the London riots is tough to watch.

While many of us focused on the news of the downward spiral of our ever-worsening economic situation here in the U.S. in recent weeks, London, my hometown, degenerated into ever more violent bursts of lawlessness, theft, rioting and social disorder. It’s been absolutely heartbreaking to watch, especially from thousands of miles away.

I’m not going to explore the causes, symptoms and reasons for the rioting here. Those are for other forums at other times, and will certainly benefit from some considerable hindsight. Tensions continue to run high and there’s still a great deal of work to be done to even contain still volatile areas in England. What’s of genuine interest is the role that social media has played in those recent events.

Read the complete article at InmanNext.

Matthew Shadbolt is the director of interactive products and marketing at The Corcoran Group. He leads the charge in Corcoran’s initiatives for social media, advertising, video, mobile and search.