There
are times when technology kicks up a storm – and times when it helps handle
one, claims a young techie.
BC: Hi, it’s sad to see the trees missing
in your neighbourhood…
AD: Blame it on Nilam - she took quite a
few with her.
BC: But her big sister seems to have
created a lot more havoc in the US…
AD: Sandy? Some of my friends in New York
and New Jersey had a tough time. There was no power for a week – and you know
how almost everything there runs on electricity…
BC: With half the country shutting down,
wonder how the media went to work…
AD: It was technology that saved the day. Smartphones
captured images and videos, social networking sites became message boards,
blogs ran articles while Twitter messages gave regular updates… In short, the
local residents turned journalists and offered updates by the minute.
BC: But how does one verify that the news
they give is authentic?
AD: You’re right. At times, rumours and
fake news did the rounds. For instance, someone had posted that the New York
Stock Exchange was flooded. This was picked up by many and re-tweeted so many
times that even major news agencies believed it...
BC: I remember residents becoming
journalists for a local tabloid in my neighbourhood… So, such collaborative
efforts existed even before technology arrived.
AD: It’s not just about local tabloids – even
TIME magazine decided to capture Sandy through mobile cameras and uploaded the
images on Instagram…
BC: I think one of those images made it to
the cover of the magazine, right?
AD: Right! And with social media coming in,
the role of technology in disaster relief has become more prominent. Take every
natural disaster that has struck us in the past few years, like the earthquakes
in Japan and New Zealand last year, or the floods in Thailand…
BC: Good to know that people use Facebook
for better things than wishing their spouse a happy anniversary…
AD: No kidding! Reports have it that
Instagram had as many as 10 images with the hashtag #sandy being uploaded every
second.
BC: For once, the general public wouldn’t
have minded being bombarded with updates and messages…
AD: Well, even the authorities were on
social media to reach out to people when they realised that newspapers and
television would never get there. From passing on important warnings to
announcing relief measures, social networking sites became the favourite media
vehicle for many.
BC: I’ve been reading about the death toll
and the widespread damage caused – seems like a nightmare…
AD: Reports mention losses amounting to
over $ 20 billion. Sandy had become such a hot topic on Twitter that it was
popularly dubbed Frankenstorm, in other words a ‘Frankenstein of a storm’.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be true…
BC: Guess it just goes on to show that when
faced with nature’s fury, even technology has to stand and watch helplessly.
AD: But technology did help many who were
trapped in their houses or in flood-ravaged areas. There were several SOS
messages that were constantly forwarded, shared or re-tweeted by many. This
helped as these tweets found their way to various rescue forces and government
departments that despatched teams to help those who were stuck.
BC: Back home, Nilam has done its bit to mess
up the city... There was so much garbage piled up everywhere.
BC: Another cyclone?
AD: No, I was referring to Diwali – the
streets are strewn with leftovers of crackers, cartons, plastic covers and
paper.
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