Social Media Used to Help Haiti

Facebook, Twitter and Google are all using their formidable power in order to help Haiti. The immediacy of online social media meant that news of the devastating Magnitude 7 earthquake spread around the world quickly and the response from people all over the world was just as immediate. Both Twitter and Facebook are being used to rally supporters of the relief efforts, while Google Earth provided a shocking before and after comparison that shows the extent of the devastation.

For social media sites, simply donating to a cause is by no means the only option. Though Google has announced in their official blog that they will donate $1 million to recovery groups on the ground in Haiti, they are also mobilising the rest of the world to do whatever they can. Google has added a link from their homepage to ways in which people can help, news about the disaster and resources for people trying to find friends or relatives.

So far, the American Red Cross has received over 35 million in donations, an amount exceeding that which was donated in response to the Asian tsunami or Hurricane Katrina. This is, perhaps, thanks to the immediacy of social media, particularly Twitter. Haitian musician Wyclef Jean alone has raised $1 million by appealing to his 1.3 million followers and other celebrities such as Michelle Obama and Jane Seymour are also helping to raise awareness. Meanwhile, several awareness groups have been founded on Facebook.

Though some would curse the virus-like power of websites like Twitter, it is at times like these where we should be very grateful for what social media is capable of. Not only did it make the world aware of the tragedy in Haiti as quickly as possible, it provided a lifeline for those trying to find friends and relatives, it encouraged the public to do whatever they could to help and provided all the information they needed to do so. Without social media, it is questionable whether the response would have been so overwhelming.

• No Related Post