Social media has proven to be an effective means of communication amongst the masses, and this instant outreach can be a lifesaver at the time of any natural disaster or terror attack.
Although there has been an extensive spread debate concerning the pros and cons of social media, still at the time of crisis it can be an excellent source of communicating and sharing vital information which can be used to save the life of an individual. You can refer to the steps mentioned below to use social media responsibly at the time of emergency, but before anything look for a safe place and then proceed to call the concerned authorities.
- It is essential to assure that you are safe from the initial impact of the crisis as those initial moments are quite critical and decides the turn of the tide.
- Now turn your smartphone to “silent mode.” It would help you in avoiding any unwanted attention.
- Then use the text messaging app to inform your family members with precise details in minimum words as any criminal can spot you whispering or talking.
- Now analyze your surroundings and if possible click some pictures.
Note: Make sure to set the LED of your camera off, especially in the dark locations as it can be a great source of attracting unwanted attention. Still, pictures can help you in assuring authorities of any suspected individuals.
- Then head to your Instagram or Facebook page and create a new post. Mention the known facts and actual situation of the crisis.
- After that attach the clicked pictures to your created post and hit “share” button.
It is crucial for an individual only to mention the actual incident and not include hypothetical information as such fake news can lead to rumors and miss communication amongst the authorities.
If by any means you get stuck in a situation of natural calamities like earthquake or flooding then it becomes crucial for an individual to maintain patience as such situations are entirely unforeseen and can happen at any given time. Maintain a stock of emergency food and medicines if you live in a disaster prone area.
Once you have assured your safety during such natural disasters, you can check if the internet connection is on as it is possible that internet services around such area get hampered. Possibly electrical connections and telephone lines can also malfunction during such natural crisis.
If you have a reliable connection, then try to call your family to ask for their safety and assure yours. Then an individual can create a post on any of the accessible social media sites with some pictures of the destruction.
This would help others in acknowledging the natural disaster and creating awareness amongst others whose known can be in the same location. It can also help the authorities to acknowledge the crisis and act accordingly. Hopefully, now users will be able to use their social media much more sensibly during the time of emergency or crisis.
Kellie minton arrived on the cyber security scene in the early 2000s when virus and malware were still new and slowly evolving. Her longtime affair with writing with an interest in the cybersecurity industry, combined with her IT degree, has contributed to experience several aspects of security suite industry such as blogging at norton.com/setup.
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