How is Social Media Different?

So far we’ve seen that social media allows for us to access information about disasters and respond faster than ever before.  Although most people still access news via television, social media websites have proved to be a valuable source of information and disaster response within the past few years.

A few of the many tweets I looked at in my research.

Many of the tweets were emotional, and sent support to the marathon victims.  By allowing us to connect with a larger public audience, Twitter and other social media sites could prove to be a useful for allowing us to feel as part of a larger community mourning over a tragedy.

Although this type of online bonding might not compare to human interaction, social media as a form of witnessing disasters can still be therapeutic in allowing us to share our emotions and support to a broad audience. I hope that you were able to learn some more about how social media has shaped our status as witnesses of disasters, and share your thoughts in the comments section!

Sources: 

1. Topsy.com

2. Dhiraj Murthy Twitter: Social Communication in the Twitter Age