“Condolences to the people of Japan, particularly those who lost loved ones in the earthquake & tsunamis. U.S. stands ready to help”
Tweet from President Obama
Japan has experienced an 8.9 magnitude earthquake and a tsunami of apocalyptic proportions, with attendant fears of radiation escaping from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Telephone lines have been down over much of Japan and traditional media reporting has been hampered by severe problems in reaching affected areas, but social media networks have stepped in to breach the communications gap.
Social networks like Facebook and Twitter have been vital sources of news and communication as the scale of the Japanese disaster unfolded. As the Straits Times of 15th March commented: “News of last Friday's earthquake in Japan spread rapidly through social media, even as traditional news agencies raced to cover what looks set to be one of the biggest news stories in years.”
On the personal side, they have provided the most effective way of finding out about friends and family. A tweet from the US State Department shows how invaluable new communication methods have become: “Telephone lines disrupted; try contacting loved ones by email, text (SMS) message or through Twitter & Facebook.”
Social media gives people the ability to stay connected, upload videos of events as they happen and search for friends and family on a message board. Google’s release of its new version of Person Finder follows earlier versions used in Chile, Haiti and New Zealand and allows people to search for or provide information about someone. Worldwide there seems recently to have been an exceptional number of natural disasters over a relatively short period of time, but fortunately we have exceptionally powerful new methods of communication to mitigate their effects.
What has been happening in Japan has shown social media at its best and people at their best. Networks provide the wherewithal for the world to behave like a community. Messages of sympathy, prayers and encouragement are accompanied by good ideas and solid financial donations. As Star Trek Star George Takei told his Twitter followers: “Today we are all Japanese. Give $10 to help. Text REDCROSS to 90999.”
Of course, there is always a darker side. McAfee Inc. has warned potential donors about shortened URLs posted on social networks, because they may lead to phishing or scam sites. Apparently, one site that proved to be a scam appeared just two hours after the Japan earthquake took place.
The ways that social media networks are proving their value at times of crisis and momentous international happenings is likely to alter public awareness so that they are taken more seriously. Some people still see them as just a medium for chatter and socialising at a distance. Events are showing just how wrong this perception can be.