Using social media to Using social media to build community disaster build community disaster resilienceresilienceNeil DuftyNeil Dufty

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OverviewOverview

Social mediaSocial media Community disaster resilienceCommunity disaster resilience Using social media in emergency Using social media in emergency

managementmanagement IssuesIssues More informationMore information

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What are social media?What are social media?

The term “social media” refers to Internet-based applications that enable people to communicate and share resources and information.

Some examples of social media include blogs, discussion forums, chat rooms, wikis, YouTube Channels, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Social media can be accessed by computer, smart and mobile phones, and mobile phone text messaging (SMS).

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Social media use in Social media use in AustraliaAustralia 7 million smartphones in Australia in 7 million smartphones in Australia in

2011 2011 Only 12% of NSW residents say they do Only 12% of NSW residents say they do

notnot use a computer in everyday life use a computer in everyday life More than nine million Australians

interact regularly on social networking sites, with Facebook dominating, followed by YouTube, Wikipedia and blogs

According to Nielsen, Australians spent the most time on social networking sites globally, an average of seven hours and nineteen minutes in April 2010.

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Community disaster Community disaster resilienceresilience Community disaster resilience is ‘the ability

of a community to not only resist and recover from a disaster but also to learn from and adapt to the changed realities that the disaster may cause’.

The National Strategy for Disaster Resilience was adopted by COAG on 13 February 2011

The Strategy stresses the need for ‘shared responsibility’ between emergency managers and communities

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Resilience- cont’dResilience- cont’d

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Building community Building community disaster resiliencedisaster resilience

Learning is criticalLearning is critical

Planning, structures and emergency agencies Planning, structures and emergency agencies cannot protect all people in all events. cannot protect all people in all events. Therefore, people’s behaviours are critical Therefore, people’s behaviours are critical before, during and after events.before, during and after events.

The way people learn these behaviours is The way people learn these behaviours is complex and variedcomplex and varied

Social networks are an important factor in Social networks are an important factor in linking people’s behaviourslinking people’s behaviours

Social media has great potential in helping Social media has great potential in helping people learn and use appropriate behaviourspeople learn and use appropriate behaviours

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Using social media in Using social media in emergency managementemergency management

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Some possible uses for Some possible uses for emergency emergency managementmanagement Providing intelligence to emergency Providing intelligence to emergency

managers through ‘crowdsourcing’managers through ‘crowdsourcing’ Engaging with people to help them prepare Engaging with people to help them prepare

for eventsfor events Providing information (e.g. warnings) to Providing information (e.g. warnings) to

communities during eventscommunities during events Providing support to people during and after Providing support to people during and after

a disastera disaster Coordinating response and recoveryCoordinating response and recovery Post-event learningPost-event learning

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Some implications for Some implications for emergency managersemergency managers Changes concept of a Changes concept of a

‘community’ (no longer a place, ‘community’ (no longer a place, now a ‘learning community’)now a ‘learning community’)

Top-down provision of information Top-down provision of information replaced by peer-to-peer learningreplaced by peer-to-peer learning

Open interactions with people’s Open interactions with people’s emotionsemotions

Diverse learning interests and Diverse learning interests and needs instead of ‘one-size fits all’ needs instead of ‘one-size fits all’

Use in recent Use in recent Australian disastersAustralian disasters 2011 Queensland floods (QPS Facebook ‘likes’)2011 Queensland floods (QPS Facebook ‘likes’)

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Recent events cont’dRecent events cont’d

Estimated more than15% of flood-affected Estimated more than15% of flood-affected residents used social media in 2011 Qld floods residents used social media in 2011 Qld floods

Slightly lower figure used social media in 2011 Slightly lower figure used social media in 2011 Victorian floodsVictorian floods

According to a UWS survey main reasons for According to a UWS survey main reasons for using social media during 2011 Qld events using social media during 2011 Qld events were: seeking general information (83% of were: seeking general information (83% of respondents), seeking specific information from respondents), seeking specific information from people (55%), requesting help (11%), leaving people (55%), requesting help (11%), leaving messages of support/sympathy (40%), messages of support/sympathy (40%), providing information (35%), responding to providing information (35%), responding to questions (35%), offering direct help (23%).questions (35%), offering direct help (23%).

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Issues for emergency Issues for emergency managersmanagers

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Issues cont’dIssues cont’d

““Malicious use of social media during an Malicious use of social media during an incident could range from mischievous incident could range from mischievous pranks to acts of terrorism”. Bruce Lindsay, pranks to acts of terrorism”. Bruce Lindsay, US Congressional research Service analystUS Congressional research Service analyst

Traditional education & communication vs Traditional education & communication vs social media (issues for priorities, resourcing)social media (issues for priorities, resourcing)

Validation of community information and risk Validation of community information and risk of misinformationof misinformation

Evaluation of social media effectivenessEvaluation of social media effectiveness Privacy issuesPrivacy issues

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More informationMore information

Social Media 4 Emergency Social Media 4 Emergency Management Management www.sm4em.orgwww.sm4em.org or #smem on Twitter

Book: ‘Social Media, Crisis Communication, and Emergency Management’ by Connie M. White

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