In the Face of Natural Disaster, Facebook Can Help.

We all know how beneficial that social media can be when it comes to revolutions. We have seen the results in  Tunisia, Egypt, and other countries fighting for their freedom. But what about when natural disasters strike? What role does Web 2.0 have in helping and informing about tragedies?

Last Thursday night I went to sleep watching the news. The last thing I remember hearing was about the earthquake in Japan. Not being able to keep my eyes open, I said a prayer for Japan and sleep took over. The next morning while I was at my internship I checked facebook. It was then that I realized the severity of the earthquake. 11 Alive was the first post that I saw with actual footage of the destruction. I wondered how many other people were finding out about the Japanese devastation on their social media.

One very unique way that new new media provided information on the Japan earthquake was how students in the United States collaborated with students in Japan. Hours after the natural disaster, students in Boston started gathering information from twitter, facebook and other internet messages to process what and where the major activity was happening. This is called Crisis Mapping. Within 24 hours of the devasting earthquake, over 75 people around the world were researching where the people were, the conditions of roads and safe places to hide. It has basically provided a better picture for response agencies and for concerned citizens to see exactly where the aftermath is affecting the country. Crisis mapping has also been used in the Haiti crisis. Here is a link to the Japan crisis map:

http://tmappsevents.esri.com/EQJapan/index.html

There are many other ways that Web 2.0 provides help for the earthquake/tsunami victims. The Red Cross has a strong social media following. They have also partnered with Apple to try and bring in donations for the victims in Japan. I-Tunes has a link on their site to donate.

If you are a follower of Lady Gaga, you might have noticed the relief bracelets that her team has designed.

There are also "prayer wave" groups forming on facebook and Twitter. Personally, I don't think that the name is totally appropriate but if it gets people to pray, donate or just provides awareness to global events then I think it gets the job done.

Although Japan is half a world away, you have to be naive to think that what happens there won't affect us here. The west coast of the U.S. has already felt the effects of the earthquake. Even if it did not directly cause reactions to our coast, we should still feel compelled to help.

Many people think that Web 2.0 has more negative qualities than positive. When it comes to natural disasters, tragedies, revolutions and various other social injustices, I think we can all agree that it provides information and relief. In the past, we have heard about tragedies through newspapers, radio and television. Now we have more of a way to be interactive and get involved. Donate or share about Japan now!