Social Media Reacts to International Crisis

Originally posted on Tuleburg 12.19.15

Social Media is one of the quickest ways to communicate with a broad audience in a matter of seconds. In day-to-day life, this doesn’t seem so crucial to many people. It isn’t until there is a crisis happening across the country or even abroad that we feel this to be so necessary. As many know last Thursday, November 13th, a series of  terrorist attacks—consisting of mass shootings, suicide bombings, and hostage-taking—occurred in Paris and its northern suburb, Saint-Denis. In a matter of moments preceding the first attack, social media platforms such as Twitter and  Facebook flooded with people talking about what was going on. People on social media were posting videos, asking for help, and letting their loved ones know they were safe. It is in moments like these, that we as a nation lean on social media for answers. Celebrities and many influencers in society took this time to express their sadness, support, and prayers via social media the Friday following the attacks. Twitter was utilized to broadcastPresident Obama’s response to the attacks. The tweet of the broadcast received 6,700 “favorites” and 8,100 retweets.

Facebook Crisis Features

Moments after the first attack, Facebook activated a tool called Safety Check in Paris so that people there could let their friends and family know they were okay during the horrific events that took place. Communication is critical in moments of crisis, both for the people affected and for those far away who are anxious for news. People turn to Facebook to check on loved ones and get updates during times like this. Safety Check allows people to quickly share that they’re safe with friends and family during a disaster and help them connect with people they care about. According to CNN, more than 4 million people marked themselves as “Safe” 24 hours after Facebook activated the Safety Check tool.

During a disaster, Safety Check will help you:

• Let friends and family know you’re safe
• Check on friends and family in the affected area and connect with them
• Share what you know about a friend or family member’s safety status

Twitter Reacts to Crisis

On Twitter, Parisians used the hashtag “#PorteOuverte”—or “open door” in French—to offer shelter to stranded visitors. On Periscope, the live-streaming app owned by Twitter, a user posted a video of the scene around the Bataclan concert hall, the site of one of the attacks. Similarly, the hashtags #PrayforParis and #ParisAttacks were used to offer messages of support, while #StrandedinUS and #StrandedinCanada developed to offer assistance to those whose travel plans had been disrupted.

In recent months Twitter released their newest feature known as “Moments”. This feature is curated content of a particular events best stories happening on Twitter, curated by Twitter and select partners. During the Paris attacks Twitter users were able to access this feature and view what people are saying about the attacks from all over the world. Twitter featured tweets, images, and videos from news agencies and bystanders that showed snippets of the attacks’ aftermath.

These global social media networks allow people across continents to—at the click of a button—participate in a uniform action to show they support the people of France during this time of suffering. Social Media has given people affected by the attacks hope, comfort, and a voice.