Social Media Helps Aid Victims of the Earthquake in Japan
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Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Archives
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March 15, 2011 10:30 AM
In the wake of social media’s influence on the political events in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, social media has now stepped up again to help inform the public about the situation in Japan since the tsunami hit last week.
Social media sites, especially YouTube and Twitter have been buzzing over the last few days with pictures, videos and tweets from the citizens of Japan. Personal videos of homes and businesses being devastated by the quake have been making their rounds for the last few days and hashtags such as #prayforjapan have risen to the top of Twitter’s trending topics index as people rush to spread news about the earthquake and its horrific repercussions for Japan’s citizens.
However, social media isn’t just acting as a platform for the sharing of information at this critical time. It’s also helping those who would like to help, offer aid to the people suffering in Japan. Aid organizations are turning to social media to try and reach a wider audience of potential supporters. A good example of this is the Red Cross who have initiated a texting donation campaign (similar to ones they’ve done in the past). “Text REDCROSS” was also a trending topic on Twitter as people rushed to donate to helping victims of the quake and the ensuing tsunami sufferers.
While many of Japan’s major resources like electricity and nuclear power have been knocked out by the quake, their internet remains relatively untouched and this has significantly helped people stay in touch with loved ones affected by the earthquake. Tools like Google’s people finder are helping victims and their family and friends attempt to locate those that are still missing, or whose whereabouts are unknown.
We’ve spoken before about social media’s ability to help in times of crisis and this is no exception. Social media’s ability to connect people is helping many people stay in contact despite the difficulties facing Japan, and that is invaluable in difficult times like these.
Originally posted on Marqui's Web Marketing Blog
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