Stated within this article here, social media allows individuals, organizations, and institutions to “spread essential disaster-related messages to the masses in real time.” That, simply, is a fact; the idea of social media is to quickly spread information [about any given topic] in the matter of clicks and taps in just a few moments. Government agencies, utility service providers, first responders and associated volunteers, and educational facilities all use social media to inform about and address information pertaining to disasters.
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In this article by the Global Disaster Preparedness Center, social media is used to “disseminate information and receive user feedback via incoming messages, wall posts, and polls.” This means that while information is shared by organizations to inform an audience, social media allows requests from victims to be sent out. “Social media can be used to send information about recovery,” allowing estimated timeframes and costs to be shared.
The article posted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration includes a variety of information pertaining to how social media assists the public during a time of need. In the last few years, Facebook has incorporated its own system of checking up on the public, called Crises Response. Essentially, the Crises Response program has benefits that aid its users. First, it allows you to mark yourself as safe if you are in close proximity of a threatening disaster, along with receiving notifications when family members or friends are identified as safe as well—called Safety Checks. Second, Crises Response allows users to identify places where food and supplies are needed or available, and raise money for affected victims or areas. Lastly, like all social media, it distributes notifications containing informational updates. More information about Crises Response and its resources are available here.
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Unfortunately, however, there are times where social media is not beneficial to the public. In this article by CNN, a Twitter hoax was uncovered—an individual was reporting false information regarding a flooding in the New York Stock Exchange due to Hurricane Sandy in 2012. This shows how quickly information may spread, even though it is not from a reliable source and not accurate at all.
I believe that social media is a great way for information about disasters to be shared: it is fast, simple to use, and reaches millions at it is widely available.
I have a couple of questions for you to think about and answer:
- Do you believe that social media is beneficial to the public when it comes to natural or man-made disasters? Why do you feel this way?
- Do you have any experiences of social media being helpful or inconvenient when you experienced a disaster?
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