The arab spring and the occupy wall street movements were the first to use effectively to recruit and mobilize protests.

The Arab Spring and the OWS movements were the first to use Internet effectively to recruit and mobilize protests.

Explanation:

The Internet, and especially social networks, played a significant role in these events. Some of the commentators even argued that without social networks, an Arab Spring would not have taken place. It was sometimes said that revolutions were supposedly just a consequence of the spread of new information and communication technologies, such as social networks and microblogging. In recent years, new means of communication using the capabilities of the Internet have begun to fulfill the functions of classical media, especially in the political field.

The political crisis in the Arab states has turned the minds of not only the civilian population of these countries, but also the world community. Given the possibility of cross-border coverage of the audience, social media were used not only for free virtual communication, but also became a mechanism for organizing coups.

Participants in the spontaneous OWS movement found supporters and coordinated their actions on social media. Moreover, it was emphasized that this movement did not have any formal leader.

there is an explationation of this on a site called crash   course world history 1