Public Washbasins Are the Social Media Networks For Many Villagers in Guatemala

A couple of years ago, I made the declaration that public washbasins, lavaderos, and water tanks, pilas, are the current social media networks of the villagers around Antigua Guatemala. Well, while talking the ladies in this public washbasin in San Juan del Obispo, I can reiterate that this declaration still holds true.

Public laundry washbasins (sometimes river and lake shores) serve as the gathering place for news, gossip and community building through the interactions that take place there. In many places in Guatemala public washbasins could be considered the first news broadcasting sites or rural social media networks, similar to Google+, Twitter or Facebook for people with smart phones, tablets or computers.

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