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Social media's role in natural disasters

BANGKOK: -- I almost wrote that Thailand's hero of the week is social media, after the news last week of a 17-year-old girl rescued from prostitution in South Korea after she used Facebook to alert authorities.

Social media was again in the news on Tuesday, for its role in disseminating news during a blackout in 14 provinces of southern Thailand. The advantages of social media in connecting people is clear.

During the blackout - in addition to being able to check for updates on the situation - journalists were able to make use of public participation and whether it was coming from first or second hand sources.

In short, mobile devices enabled them to follow the blackout story on social media sites as it unfolded.

Thai police also used LINE, a free call and messaging app, as the way to communicate with authorities in Bangkok as well as local officers. Besides group communication, LINE enabled officers to share pictures, videos and report on locations.

LINE's creator actually got inspiration from seeing people queuing to use a public phone after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in 2011. An advantage LINE has over the instant-messaging platform is that it is a multi-platform app that allows users to make calls within the program, free of charge.

"Today LINE is one of the most popular and beautifully designed instant messaging and calling apps available for iOS, Android, tablet, and desktop users. It took only nine months for LINE to achieve 30 million registered users," Esen Sagynov, a developer and project manager of CUBRID open-source database project, wrote last year.

"At the time of writing this article, LINE has already 36 million users worldwide and is recognised as being a fast and light messenger that is considered the No 1 free app in many countries, especially in Southeast Asia."

In April, www.statista.com reported 15 million LINE users in Thailand, about the same as in Taiwan, compared with 41.5 million users in Japan and 10 million in Spain.

This month, LINE Corporation - owner and operator of LINE - announced that it had surpassed 150 million registered users worldwide.

When it comes to social media and natural-disaster response, an infographic widely referred to is the one provided by the University of San Fancisco's Master of Public Administration Online Programme.

The infographic "Social Media, the New Face of Disaster Response" illustrates the role social media played in three recent natural disasters: the Japan tsunami, the Haiti earthquake and Hurricane Sandy.

Back to Thailand and the girl's story: Questions have emerged over the Thai teenager's claim that her aunt forced her into prostitution in South Korea.

The aunt met with Thai police and firmly denied the allegation. The girl's father has also said his daughter made up the story in a bid to find her way back to Thailand.

The truth is under investigation. However, it's yet another example of how social media can be a source of information for anyone and therefore, verification of the source is essential.

-- The Nation 2013-05-25

There are no consequences for not telling the truth on Facebook. It is Thai heaven.