In Afghanistan, there are an estimated 18 million mobile phone users in a country of just over 30 million people, and as a result, social media is not just popular but vital. The recent murder of Farkhunda Malikzada, a 27-year-old woman murdered by a mob, demonstrates the power of Facebook. An activist posted a video of the murder and soon it went viral, and the incident garnered world-wide attention.
Facebook is not just used for activism but also for entertainment, news and as a substitute for emailing and texting by a growing group of mainly urban, young Afghans.
