In this article, the authors, Holcomb, Bakelaaar, and Zizzamia, are arguing that when the world changed after 9/11, the internet changed as well through more users, more technology (ways of accessing the internet), and more issues revolving around security and privacy, and because of this change we are more prepared for any future crisis. After the attacks of 9/11, we saw many positive as well as some negative uses of the internet. Many people were looking to the internet for information about the attacks as well as the victims. The internet offered more answers, than say TV, by giving more depth of information, more personal stories and more perspectives. There were also registries set up for survivors/victims of the attack. The amount of users on the internet was skyrocketing for means of communication with friends and family in New York. The internet also allowed people to donate to disaster relief efforts and the Red Cross.
The internet also acted as a double edge sword and allowed users to set up fake donation sites, where people thought they were donating to a good cause but really the money went to the user of the page, who was trying to capitalize on the country’s devastation. Another negative side to the internet was the miscommunication of the victim/survivor lists. With so many various lists, they did not all match up, so people were unsure of whether or not their friends and family were okay or not. If they did not see a certain name on one victim list, it caused them to panic. This was all due from the large amount of internet users brought about after the attacks.
We saw this same kind of thing happen with the earthquake in Haiti. Shortly after the earthquake, nearly everyone knew all about it, and we saw new technologies being used to spread the word and help the cause. Instead of donation websites being set up, you could text to donate. Relief efforts were changing their strategies due to the shift in technology in the last 9 years. According to the Mobile Giving Foundation, in the first ten days after the earthquake, “Americans used their cell phones to send text messages pledging more than $30 million for Haitian relief efforts” (Choney). This was a success because the relief efforts targeted the market based on how the culture is now using technology. We can log onto YouTube and watch videos about the area as well as read blogs, news stories, or firsthand stories from people who have gone overseas to help the people of Haiti.
Technology keeps us in the know of current events, sometimes faster than our local or national news, and the efficiency of technology has brought about quick and effortless way to help out a cause when the need arises.
Choney, Suzanne. “Mobile Giving to Help Haiti Exceeds $30 Million”. MSNBC. 21 January 2010. Web. 1 April 2010. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34850532/ns/technology_and_science-wireless/
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