Social Media used in disasters
It seems that all of these new social media platforms are helping in disasters indirectly.
Colorado.edu reports that,
Leysia Palen, an assistant professor of computer science and an affiliate of the CU-Boulder Natural Hazards Center, has studied the ways that people disseminate information in the aftermath of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Southern California wildfires, as well as the recent shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University.
She says, “Web 2.0, or social media Web sites, along with cell phones and other wireless devices, provide a way for large-scale interaction to happen online that is turning out to be very important in these situations. These communication tools can be useful to members of the public as well as to public officials and response and aid organizations.”
Source: CU-Boulder Professor Analyzes Role Of Social Media In Disaster Response And Recovery [Colardo.edu]