April 17, 2007 - As the world comes to terms with yesterday's horror at Virginia Tech, many (including myself) have turned to the internet for news, comfort, and support. But it was the power of Facebook in providing a forum for students to share grief, fear, and (mis)information that not only caught my attention, but also that of the media (see article here).
With no means of connecting to their fellow classmates, many relied on Facebook as a means of communication to let each other know if they are safe. Many used their "status" to let friends know they've been unharmed. A group called "I'm ok at VT" was created and has now more than 2000 members. Another one called "A tribute to those who passed at the Virginia Tech Shooting" has close to 200,000. Many posted on walls to share their grief and anger. And as of tonight, you could still find the profiles of some of the victims that have already been identified.
Our generation is not new to tragedies: Oklahoma City Bombing, Columbine, Sept 11, Katrina, space shuttle explosions, and now the VT massacre (see an interesting article about this here). What has changed however is how we react to these difficult times. Facebook, out of nowhere, seems to be the new outlet that's tying us together - regardless of geography and time (someone needs to write a paper about this!). The power of facebook has surprised me once again.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment