Unsuspecting heroes often emerge in disasters, and social media, a study – ScienceDaily

The University of Vermont study is the first to examine the characteristics of social media in different types of disasters (hurricanes, floods and tornadoes), focusing on five of the most costly emergencies of the decade in the United States.

The study highlights two key findings: First, on average, Twitter users with small local networks (100 to 200 subscribers) increase their activity more than those with larger networks in these situations. Second, each type of natural disaster studied had its own pattern of using social media.

The results, published in the journal PLOS ONE, have important implications for organizations in charge of communicating vital information on emergencies, especially as the incidence and cost of natural hazards increase, a trend that is expected to continue with climate change.

"In planning natural disasters and natural disasters, it's really important to think about the timing and contents of tweeting," said lead author Meredith Niles of the Gund Institute for the Environment of the UVM and the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences. "We show that the use of social media differs greatly depending on the type of emergency, and this information can help with emergency planning, where effective communications can be a matter of life and death."

Power of the people

Despite the importance given to influential social media celebrities with millions of subscribers, during natural disasters, Twitter's average users – those with between 100 and 200 subscribers – have proven to be more active broadcasters Useful information.

"We found that" average Twitter users "tweeted more often about disasters and focused on communicating key information," says Benjamin Emery, co-author of the study. , MSc student at the Complex Systems Center and the Computational Story Lab of the UVM.

"Although these users have fewer members than so-called influencers, their subscribers typically have a higher proportion of friends and family members, as well as nearby networks that are more likely to search and match. Exchange useful information in emergency situations. "

Instead of relying on influential social media personalities to disseminate important information, the study suggests focusing efforts on targeting average users through meaningful networks, with compelling and accurate messages that ordinary citizens will feel obliged to share with the public online. . "

Tweet storm storm

The researchers found major differences in timing and volume of tweets, depending on the type of disaster. For hurricanes, people tweeted more frequently about emergency topics before the event, while for tornadoes and floods, which occur with fewer warnings, Twitter was used to obtain real-time information or recover.

The study suggests that the importance of Twitter for communicating life-saving information could be maximized by tailoring the timing and content of messages to the type of emergency.

"We show that people are much more active on Twitter just before a hurricane, when they know it's imminent and that they're getting ready," Niles said. The activity dropped during the event. "This suggests that Twitter is a more effective tool for communicating information about preparing for or evacuating before hurricanes."

However, with more unexpected risks, such as tornadoes and floods, people tweeted in real time as the situation evolved. "In the case of floods and tornadoes, it seems that people are using Twitter to share crucial information about overnight resources and during the recovery period," adds Niles.

Food security and water

Given the importance of food and water in natural disasters, researchers tracked 39 key words related to emergencies, food security, water and resources, and badyzed their frequency and volume increase on Twitter during the two weeks surrounding each disaster.

For example, terms such as "grocery store", "supermarket" and "prepare" were most often used before hurricanes, while terms such as "shelter", "emergency", "wind" or "food security" were used during and after tornadoes. This suggests that people communicate in real time about their preparation or recovery and share resources that could help those seeking help.

The research was conducted under a permanent agreement between the University of Vermont and Twitter, which allows the university to have access to Decahose (a random stream of 10% of all public tweets).

Twitter data was collected in the United States between 2011 and 2016 for the five most expensive emergency situations (excluding long-term droughts) in the United States: Hurricane Sandy (October 2012), Hurricane Irene ( August 2011), Southeast Tornadoes / Ohio Valley and Midwest (April 2011), Louisiana Floods (August 2016) and Midwest / Southeast Tornadoes (May 2011).

The co-authors of the study include Christopher Danforth, Peter Dodds and Andrew Reagan.