Social Media Moves to Forefront During Boston Marathon Disaster

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, it was Twitter and Facebook that kept information coming and communication flowing because cellphone towers were overloaded. Social media gave out blood donation locations and let loved ones communicate with each other during the chaos.

Here are other ways social media got to work during this horrific scene:

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Association took to Twitter to inform people to text their loved ones, rather than call, because it took up less bandwidth and had a better chance for the communication to go through.

Tufts Medical Center used Twitter to update its patient count and inform potential patients not involved in the Marathon incident to enter through the ER entrance if they needed care.

The Boston Globe temporarily converted its website’s homepage into a live blog that pulled and posted Tweets from Boston authorities, news outlets and citizens.

Boston police used Twitter to inform followers that they were stabilizing the situation, checking packages and to help calm nerves.

Besides providing important information, social media may become key in helping authorities with forensic evidence and identifying who’s responsible for the attack.

Social media helped get valuable information out quickly to the masses.

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