The bombing of the Boston Marathon was horrific and unthinkable. The phones lines jammed up quickly. Social media was the main resource for people trying to get information and send information.
We are seeing this scenario more and more as real large-scale emergencies happen. Phone lines and cell phone towers get jammed up with people trying to communicate. All this activity ties up important communication points for emergency management and law enforcement agencies to do their much-needed work.
The solution around this problem is social media. You can find out if your loved ones are safe and what’s happening via social media networks like Twitter and Facebook for example. During the Boston marathon, Twitter was valuable for getting the information out to the masses quickly. Facebook did the job, but in a much slower way.
So what do you need to know when a “Boston Marathon” emergency happens? You should learn how to use social networks well ahead of any disaster. On Twitter you will need to learn how to use hashtags, for example. Knowing how to use your smart phone also helps in a time like this.
As we look back on these real emergencies, we will see that social media is becoming more of a communication solution for the masses. It can inform and help save lives. It’s not a toy anymore. It’s a valuable part for creating success and safety in our communities.
