Nobody can deny the fact that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so many other social media sites have been part of the life of individuals. From waking up until they sleep, these platforms are the first and last companion of a person. More so, because of people’s high usage, it has also been an effective medium of communication where information coming from everywhere around the globe can spread faster than what TV, Radio, and Print can do. Because of this, even the government agencies have their own accounts where they can post updates about a certain calamity or disaster. Hence, this shaped a new way to inform the public about the coming of a catastrophe. This infographic proves that social media is indeed vital in the modern era’s communication landscape.
1. You must be familiar with the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina and Typhoon Haiyan that occurred at a different time but the impacts and crisis it left are beyond the imagination of mankind. In some countries, the problem was that the people were not able to evacuate early because they were “uninformed” about the intensity of the calamity. This is because even if the TV stations are broadcasting it 24 hours, some people don’t have access to such coverage because they don’t watch TV often. Especially among the children of today, news should go through several social media sites before they will know the name of the new typhoon.
2. The traditional method of gathering information and dissemination is inefficient because of inadequate sources of information. Unlike with social media, all individuals especially living in the affected areas are the ones who provide information. Because they are the first-hand witness to it, they are reliable especially if they upload images while the disaster is hitting in their locality.
3. When news about a disaster is on air, you could not possibly know about your relatives’ condition. But try to browse through their FB accounts and you might see them marking themselves “safe” as this is a new feature of FB. Sounds interesting right? You can also see what they feel through their posts in their timeline.
4. If you are working full time, it is also possible that your company has their own system to inform you about the disaster and whether office hours have been scheduled or temporarily stopped and when the operation will resume. Aside from personally texting or calling you, they can post the memos through group chats or hangouts that have been created for office purposes. Such is the magnificence of the new technology, especially social media.
5. Lastly, because social media sites support images and videos, people can upload and show the actual scene where the disaster is striking. It is necessary so that appropriate actions will be taken by the authorities. There are other news stations that would ask an individual to report the news through going live.
6. If you are a company, a TV station or an individual, do not hesitate social media to be part of your communication channels because it effects can be far greater than the traditional medium of communication.
source: https://www.disastercompany.com/changes-in-disaster-response-through-social-media-infographic/
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