Log in if You Survived: Social Media Functions in the Aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines

• In Event: Media and Communities Across the Life Span: Facing an Environmental Crisis

Abstract

This study explores the functions served by social media when Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms ever recorded on Earth, pummeled the Philippines in November 2013. When traditional communication channels became non-operational, non-traditional information sources and communication platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, became salient. In-depth interviews with 36 individuals from various groups—government officials, journalists, and citizens—yielded three large themes that speak to the social functions served by social media during the disaster. First, social media became a platform for survivors to tell their friends and family that they were alive. Second, social media also became a venue for survivors to collectively cope with their family, friends, and fellow survivors. Finally, social media provided a means for residents to participate in the social construction of their experiences. The results provide initial considerations for the development of theoretically based social media functions in this area of research.

Authors

• Edson Tandoc, Nanyang Technological University

• Bruno Takahashi, Michigan State University