This morning I heard about the unfortunate disaster in Japan not from turning on the TV, but from signing into my Twitter account and seeing the trending topics section which had been entirely consumed with Japanese city names, #prayforJapan, #tsunami and more. I learned from the feeds of these trending topics that there had been a devastating earthquake that hit Japan, causing a tsunami that washed away homes, cars and memories.
I could feel the devastation from the feed as people from all over the world expressed their concern and care for what had happened. Remarkably, people had already started tweeting ways in which others could help by texting to the RedCross.
Google also lent a helping hand with a realtime stream of news concerning the event, in addition to The Google Crisis Response page. The news stream and the crisis page will help connect people all over the world with updates and information on loved ones who might still be missing.
Through social media not only can the rest of the world become aware of the devastation, but we are given the chance to lend a helping hand in a way that might not have been available without social media. The information is spread quicker, allowing others to respond quicker. Already, people from around the world are tweeting to the Red Cross in order to donate money for Japan.
If anything, social media brings hope in a time like this. When communication is cut off, loved ones are missing and a country is turned upside down, social media allows people stay connected, upload videos of the event happening right in front of their eyes and search for someone on a message board.
Help spread the word through social media and help out the victims of the disaster!
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