The difficulties in using social media for extreme weather emergencies

Citation

Hibberd M & Buchanan M (2014) The difficulties in using social media for extreme weather emergencies. Sociologia e Politiche Sociali, 17 (2), pp. 127-138. https://www.francoangeli.it/riviste/Scheda_Rivista.aspx?IDArticolo=52284&Tipo=Articolo%20PDF&lingua=it&idRivista=66

Abstract
This article examines the use of social media as an information and safety tool in cases of extreme weather emergencies. The paper uses original research undertaken by the authors in Danang (Vietnam), and realised with the help of the officials in the government of the Vietnam Socialist Republic and students in Danang and HCMC. This article argues that top-down and bottom-up communications are equally important when assessing the role of social media in extreme weather events and communicating emergencies in an era of climate change. At the same time, however, this article argues that social media seem more useful to disseminating information rather than allowing people to make full sense of the full economic and political impact extreme weather will bring.

Keywords
Social Network; Twitter; Climate Change; Vietnam; Public Sphere

Journal
Sociologia e Politiche Sociali: Volume 17, Issue 2