While some of us may still get our news from more traditional sources such as radios, televisions and newspapers, social media has become the go-to source for all types of news and information within seconds of it occurring. Today we read tweets from the people that were in the Japan earthquake sharing their experiences as it happened.
With power outages and the phone system knocked out, residents of Tokyo were tweeting over 1,200 tweets a minute during the quake. This demonstrates the importance of timely and relevant content on such sites as Twitter. The social media machine has evolved into more than just a tool for networking. It has become a tool for sharing life-altering information. Such sites like Mashable have been created as a one-stop-shop to get the day’s most need-to-know-information from Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google and blog posts.
Hours later, celebrities on Twitter have announced websites that have been created to allow people to donate to the Japanese relief efforts. Countless videos have been posted to allow the entire world to see what state Japan is in. And Google currently has a link on their homepage leading people to resources for the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. In the year 2011, this is how one maintains visibility – timely and relevant posts.
