How to Use Social Media Sensibly

in Time of Crisis

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.

Source :- http://norton-norton.uk/how-to-use-social-media-sensibly-in-
time-of-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.