Social Media in Times of Crisis

In the wake of the worlds disasters, most recently being the crisis in Japan, social media has really become the forefront of communication and community.  Twitter is being used to raise charity money from the twitter community and celebrity followers; it's also being used as the source for "just in" information from news sites.  It's also a place where survivors can connect with each other and the world.  Skype is being used for video correspondents to CNN and other news sites in hard hit areas when phone lines fail.  Smartphone Apps are being downloaded to keep a user updated instantly with news bites.  Google has put up People Finder to help people search for their loved ones or to add missing persons like a digital bulletin board for the world.
When we used to rely on tv, phone, and radio connections in times of crisis, the net and social media has quickly and effectively taken over as the worlds communication operator.

A drawback is that social media allows disgruntled users or haters to use all the good assets of the social media stage to spew their hatred and fear.  Some insensitive comments about the disasters in Japan flow freely from people who otherwise would not have such an easy platform (i.e. girl from UCLA rant on youtube).  There have also been reports of bad journalism about both Libya and Japan, which only results in distrust, fear, and disillusion.  Also, maybe too much information and visual images shown instantly and repeatedly are not good overall for the psyche and the younger generation without adult supervision.  As with anything in life, good judgement, a healthy and diverse handle on knowledge and morals is essential with social media.

On a personal note, I was raised in Japan in an international community, (my family is from the US), so the crisis really hit home.  It's still rather surrealistic - my uncle was an hour away from landing in Japan when the earthquake hit and had to be diverted to Hokkaido.  I use my CNN app to keep up with the news, and also sometimes stream Japan's NHK station to my iphone for Japan's perspective.  My thoughts and prayers are with the Japanese people as well as the world.  What affects one of us, affects all of us on Earth.