And then along came Twitter.

More than 220,000 “tweets,” or 140-character updates and messages, about Iran have been sent in a single hour during this turmoil. And according to former United States National Security Advisor Mark Pfeifle, this makes the social network deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize.

Pfeifle writes, “When traditional journalists were forced to leave the country, Twitter became a window for the world to view hope, heroism, and horror… because of this, Twitter and its creators are worthy of being considered for the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Do you think Twitter truly deserves the same award that’s been given to the Dalai Lama and Mother Theresa–people who have dedicated their entire lives to peace? Shouldn’t intention play some sort of part?

Another question that remains is whether or not, especially given the decline of print media, Twitter will become a major news source in and of itself. With a society of technologically-savvy citizens with short attention spans, overly-bombarded with information and constantly strapped for time and money, it doesn’t seem impossible.

Nobel Peace Prize worthy or not, Twitter seems to have proved itself to be more than a time-wasting daily distraction of worthless drivel and insignificance. And perhaps with its continued use, the world can keep standing with Iran, and the people living in the conflict will know that there is still hope.

“Without Twitter, the people of Iran would not have felt empowered and confident to stand up for freedom and democracy. They did so because they knew the world was watching,” Pfeifle says.