Ethiopia Blocks Social Media for College Exams

Wanting to procrastinate while studying for your mid-term or finals? No problem, go for it. Here in America being on Social Media is like waking up or brushing your teeth. The freedoms we have to use it is endless. When it comes to college, social media is a college student's way of keeping up with things happening around campus, or even seeing how their friend's are doing in college.  But what would happen if the U.S. Government decided to shut down all social media sites when your exams came around? What would you do? How would you react?

For American college students we might be enraged, boycott, or even protest. But in countries like Ethiopia, college students aren't given the social media freedom like us. In Ethiopia, the government has put a ban on all social media for college students. For a few days, college students will not be able to post anything on social media. Nothing on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. No matter the site, the Ethiopian Government has control over it and isn't giving it up until all exams have been taken.

All this after exams were cancelled because a picture of the exam was leaked onto social media. A group supporting protests for equal rights in Ethiopia's Ormo people took responsibility for the leak. The Government, who already has an incredible amount of control over social media, was not pleased about it, didn't hesitate to take charge of the situation, thus the ban on social media.

According to reports, this is just a glimpse of what the government has in store for its residents college student or not, if/when another protest happens. The impact on this is huge, especially when social media is a huge tool for how Ethiopians gain access and pass along very important information to the proper authorities. Telling not only college students, but Ethiopians that if/when they feel the need to protest again, the consequences will be even greater. So next time you want to procrastinate on studying for your mid-terms or finals, I would rethink that and appreciate the freedoms we have with social media (after exams are done).