Using Social Media In Time Of Crisis

Posted by admin in Blog | Comments Off

Social networks can be useful in times of crisis. When my father was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo surgery, I regularly updated my Facebook status with updates on his conditions.  This allowed me to give regular updates without being burdened with making lots of phone call / texts which can be taxing under already stressful conditions.  When my father eventually passed away in March 2009, I was also able to quickly share information about his memorial service and could concentrate my energy taking care of my immediate family and making the proper arrangements.

For those of you that do not want to “blast” the whole world concerning your personal family matter on the most popular social networking sites such as Facebook, I suggest an alternative.  I went to  www.carepages.com and created an account.  This site will allow you to send invites to only those members you invite.  In addition, it also provides a history of status updates so others can see the history of what has occurred over time.

Lastly, there was an auxiliary benefit to updating my status on both Facebook and CarePages, others provided their support, prayers, and well wishes.  In addition, people were allowed to share their stories and the impact that similar circumstances had on their lives.  This sharing not only provides support during a crisis but also helps to identify support after a crisis.