Social Media and Emergency Communications Social Media Essay

Social Media and Emergency Communications

Social Media Emergency Communications Social media popular crucial crisis emergency communications. Responders communicating public social media outlets, public communicating, responders. Individuals provide important information disaster

The pros and cons

Social media has allowed people to communicate with a large group of people in real time. The integration of social media in mobile devices has also spread its reach, which has allowed for ease of communication between individuals. In an emergency situation, people will use social media to share information with others and relevant authorities. This would allow emergency worker to better understand the emergency situation, which would allow them to make the necessary preparations White, 2011.

People are finding it easier to report emergencies using social media. Government agencies have discovered that people will first share any emergency situation on social media, and they are monitoring social sites in order to respond promptly to any disaster. Social media provides tools like video uploading, photos sharing, and information distribution, which would be very useful for any disaster agency. Social media can also be used to reach a wider audience to report an emergency. Government agencies can use social media to communicate information regarding a disaster, and they can be sure that the information will be received by a wider audience. This is because majority of people use social media on a daily basis.

Social media in a disaster can lead to panic in case the information is not communicated properly. If a person shares information regarding a disaster, there is a chance that though the disaster might not have a huge impact it can cause panic.Rumors can also be spread using social media. If the information shared is false, people would think there is a disaster and emergency teams might respond only to find it was a false alarm. Therefore, emergency teams need to verify the information they receive on social media.

Ways technology is changing the emergency management field

Emergencies can now be communicated to a larger audience. This would provide necessary information to people and ensure that the community does not get caught in the emergency. People are able to get public warning on social media. This way people who are not near a television or radio will also be updated regarding any emergency. This is mainly because emergency teams are on social media and they post any warnings on social media. Trapped disaster victims are able to use social media to communicate to emergency teams Baule & Lewis, 2012.

This allows the emergency workers to quickly pin point their location and rescue the trapped persons. The victims can also use social media to request for assistance.

Social media can also be used for disaster preparedness. When emergency teams build trust and credibility with people before a disaster, it is most likely that people will use social media to communicate any emergency. This way the emergency teams can reduce the likelihood of people providing false information. Ushahidi has provided the necessary platform for people….....