Under the influence of social networks, four protest events—the incidents following the 2009 elections, the riots of December 2017, November 2019, and autumn 2022—occurred across a wide range of cities, confronting the official political sphere with severe shocks and, by creating a new process in the execution and organization of protests, had significant impacts on cyberspace policy. The main goal of the present research is to identify the pattern of formation of protest movements in December 2017 within the context of social networks. The findings of this study also indicate that the initiation of these demonstrations was not due to calls made in cyberspace; rather, cyberspace in general, and the Telegram messenger in particular, especially the Amadnews channel, only played a role in accelerating these unrests. However, the main question that this article seeks to answer is: what role did social virtual networks play in the formation and spread of the December 2017 unrests? In response to these questions, the following hypothesis is proposed: "During the unrest of December 2017 (Dey 1396), Telegram and virtual space were not the sole causes of the protests, and this cause should be sought in the economic conditions of the people, especially the weaker classes and the lower deciles of society." The research method in the present article is descriptive-analytical.
Gholami, M., Morshedizad, A., Bakhshayeshi Ardestani, A., Darvish Pour, H. & Tavakoli, J. (2026). The Role of Cyberspace and Social Networks in the Unrest of January 2018. (e255682). Islamic Revolution Research, 15(2), e255682
MLA
Gholami, M., Morshedizad, A., Bakhshayeshi Ardestani, A., Darvish Pour, H., & Tavakoli, J. "The Role of Cyberspace and Social Networks in the Unrest of January 2018" .e255682 , Islamic Revolution Research, 15, 2, 2026, e255682.
HARVARD
Gholami, M., Morshedizad, A., Bakhshayeshi Ardestani, A., Darvish Pour, H., & Tavakoli, J. (2026). 'The Role of Cyberspace and Social Networks in the Unrest of January 2018', Islamic Revolution Research, 15(2), e255682.
CHICAGO
Gholami, M., Morshedizad, A., Bakhshayeshi Ardestani, A., Darvish Pour, H. & Tavakoli, J., "The Role of Cyberspace and Social Networks in the Unrest of January 2018." Islamic Revolution Research, 15 2 (2026): e255682,
VANCOUVER
Gholami M., Morshedizad A., Bakhshayeshi Ardestani A., Darvish Pour H., Tavakoli J. The Role of Cyberspace and Social Networks in the Unrest of January 2018. Islamic Revolution Research. 2026;15(2):e255682 (In Persian).
