Social Media saving lives
In the 20th century, people couldn’t imagine the Internet phenomena. Today, few things are done without it. It is hard to think where Information Technology will take the human race in the coming years. Some people argue that we humans are becoming too dependent on virtual computer networks. So much so, that a few minutes down time can cause a loss of billions. However true this argument maybe, Internet is also helpful in many ways, and one of them is its benefit to social causes especially in crisis situations. The power of the Internet comes to the forefront when time and instant global connectivity is of the essence. The most apt situation is during the aftermath of a natural disaster. The best example of this is the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Till vey recently, people who wanted to donate had to either go to an aid organization’s local office and make the donation or mail it to them. Both methods took a long time to reach the rescue organization, preventing non-profits from accessing necessary funds. Today, those who want to help the people in Japan barely have to lift a finger. Through the internet and its most popular social network, Facebook, anyone around the world can donate funds with just one click. Donating for a good cause is no more a hassle and in some scenarios, people don’t even have to spend their own funds to help an aid organization. All you have to do is log on to Facebook or twitter and “like” a page or “follow” a trend and you are already helping the people waiting to be rescued.
Explore.org founder Charlie Annenberg Weingarten, challenged his peers in the tech industry saying Explore.org will donate up to $100,000 to the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. For every “Like” of the “Dog Bless You” Facebook page (#dogblessyou, #dogs4japan), Explore will donate a dollar up to $100,000. The foundation’s dog rescue team is on its way to Japan to help with earthquake search and rescue operations.”…Plenty of people across America…want to help Japan in some way but don’t have the resources; we’re giving those people a chance to support with a simple social action, ” said Weingarten. Stories such as the one above demonstrate how far information technology has penetrated our society. Gone are the days when technology was considered to be a calculator or a home PC. Today, our online worlds have become as social and real as the ones we live in.
Source: http://mashable.com/2011/03/12/quake-rescue/
