While acknowledging the complexity and range of approaches to defining and categorizing vulnerable persons (e.g. Eakin & Luers, 2006; Wisner, 2004) and the difficulty of defining vulnerability in interdisciplinary contexts such as disasters (Enang et al. , 2019), the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction defines vulnerability as: “The conditions determined by physical, social, economic and environmental factors or processes that increase the susceptibility of an individual, community, asset or system to the effects of hazards” ( UNISDR, 2016, p. 41). The aim of the study was to identify vulnerable people's attitudes, needs and future plans to use SM to access and share information related to extreme weather events.
Use of information received indirectly via SM
Others felt that they would have to hear or see the news directly as they lacked confidence in the information received indirectly.
Sharing information using SM during emergencies
For some respondents, specific technical conditions would need to be met, such as “Social media is more likely to show my posts in the main news feed.” A number of respondents noted that “Nothing,” “I don't know,” “Not sure,” “N/A.” in response to the question of what makes them more likely to share information about SM regarding an extreme weather event. Others noted that “[I] used [SM] a lot when we had our last flood, and I don't think I could have used it anymore” and that “if I used SM more generally” they would be more likely to post information as a result of an extreme weather event.
Preference for SM as an information source compared to alternative information sources
LSE respondents are also significantly more likely than PL respondents to perceive that people prefer to use SM to search for information because the information is more quickly available. In terms of accessibility, LSE and GSI respondents are significantly more likely than those aged 60+ and those who identify as living with PL to perceive that people prefer to look for information about SM over other sources of information because it is more accessible. Regarding people who prefer to look for information via SM because it is more reliable than other sources of information, the GSI respondents rated this aspect significantly higher than those aged 60+.
Expectations towards emergency services
Many respondents (61.0%) felt that their information needs during extreme weather events are very specific, with almost half (49.7%) preferring to use community groups on SM to obtain information as it is tailored to their needs. Notably, just under half of respondents (47.4%) reported obtaining information specific to their situation offline, rather than through SM, during extreme weather events. Three of the four information needs criteria (i.e. ERO SM information meets my needs, my information needs are very specific, and I obtain most specific information offline) were significantly different by vulnerability type.
The same pattern was observed for the second question about the specificity of information needs, although GSI respondents also rated their information needs as significantly more specific than LSE respondents. Respondents were given the opportunity to provide additional comments regarding the use of SM before, during, and after an extreme weather event. I prefer to use community groups on social media to obtain information about extreme weather events because the information is tailored to my needs.
For example, “Emergency services should identify people who work on social media” and “It is useful for emergency services to continue to update their social media during an extreme weather event, but currently they are not sharing enough information”.
5 Discussion
Challenging prevalent assumptions about vulnerable persons and SM in disasters
Vulnerable individuals in our study show a strong desire to use SM during disasters to receive and share information—and in some cases were even more likely to view SM positively than general population samples captured in other studies. SM thus offers an increasingly valuable way for governments, EROs, NGOs and community organizations to reach directly to vulnerable people, and for vulnerable people to reach directly to organizations and their communities in ways that complement the wider information ecology of vulnerable persons. In light of the positive views that vulnerable individuals in this study had towards SM in the disaster context, further research into areas where their perceptions differ from the general population is worthwhile.
These insights can be used to inform tailored SM solutions that maximize outcomes for vulnerable people. For example, if we compare the expectations that vulnerable people have of EROs in our study with the general population sample captured by Reuter and Spielhofer (2017), vulnerable people were found to have a significantly higher expectation that emergency services should reply to a post. in SM within one hour (52.5% compared with p < .002). This suggests that emergency services can usefully engage with vulnerable people to better address and manage their expectations.
In addition to considering how the values, needs and future plans of vulnerable persons to use SM in disasters compare to the general population, it is valuable to further consider how people from different vulnerable groups compare with each other to support more nuanced approaches.
Comparison of perceptions of SM use in disasters between vulnerable groups
Our study also highlighted that LSE people were less likely to think that emergency services will be too busy to monitor SM during an extreme weather event compared to GSI people. As LSEs are often characterized by their limited access to resources (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011) it would be interesting to examine how this affects their perceptions of the resources available to emergency service organizations compared to segments others of the community.
6 Contributions, Directions for Future Research and Limitations
Contributions to research and practice
Directions for future research
Studies comparing the information needs and practices of vulnerable people with the general population in the context of disasters. Identifying how community-initiated SM groups can improve the inclusion of vulnerable people in the PPRR phases of disasters. Exploring the needs of vulnerable people in disasters by analyzing relationship dynamics within community groups on SM.
Identifying how vulnerable people contribute to and benefit from crowdsourcing initiatives in the context of disasters. Exploring how to manage the complexity of the disaster management organizational landscape to better deploy SM to meet the specific needs of vulnerable people. Exploring how organizations can effectively integrate SM with traditional communication channels to better support the needs of vulnerable individuals during disasters.
Identifying how vulnerable people's expectations of the use of SM by emergency service organizations can be managed.
Limitations
7 Conclusion
Retrieved July 21, 2021, from http://www.redcross.ca/cmslib/general/pub_social_media_in_emergencies_survey_oc 012_en.pdf. Emergency management in the changing world of social media: Setting the research agenda with stakeholders through engaged expertise. Avoiding chaotic use of social media before, during, and after emergencies: Design and evaluation of citizens' guidelines.
Social media in times of crisis: Learning from Hurricane Harvey for the 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic response. The impact of cultures of risk: Citizens' perceptions of social media use in emergencies across Europe. Emergency personnel and social media – a comparative empirical study of the attitudes of emergency personnel in Europe in 2014 and 2017.
Towards social resilience: a quantitative and qualitative study of citizens' perception of social media in emergencies in Europe.
Appendix One - Survey instrument
How likely are you to use social media in the future to look for information as a result of an extreme weather event such as a flood, storm, fire or heat wave. What would make you (even) more likely to use social media to look for information as a result of an extreme weather event such as a flood, storm, fire or heat wave in the future. How likely are you to respond to social media information that you have indirectly received from friends or family as a result of an extreme weather event such as a flood, storm, fire or heat wave.
What would make you (even) more likely to act on social media information indirectly provided by friends or relatives in the future as a result of an extreme weather event such as a flood, storm, fire or heat wave. What kind of information have you shared using social media as a result of an extreme weather event such as a flood, storm, fire or heat wave. How likely are you in the future to use social media to share information with others during or after an extreme weather event such as a flood, storm, fire or heat wave.
What would make you (even) more likely to use social media to share information as a result of an extreme weather event such as a flood, storm, fire or heat wave.
Appendix Two – Summary Tables for Quantitative Analysis
Kruskal-Wallis H-test and post hoc paired Mann-Whitney test analyzes of vulnerability type by awareness of Twitter alerts and Facebook safety checks. How likely are you to use SM in the future to search for information as a result of an extreme weather event such as a flood, storm, fire or heat wave. Kruskal-Wallis H-test and post-hoc paired Mann-Whitney test analyzes of vulnerability type according to the likelihood of using SM in the future to obtain information about extreme weather events.
People prefer to search for information through SM than television, radio or traditional websites because information is more quickly accessible. People prefer to search for information through SM than television, radio or traditional websites because. The Kruskal-Wallis H test and the post hoc paired Mann-Whitney test analyze the range of vulnerabilities according to the perceived reasons why people prefer to seek information through SM compared to other information sources.
Kruskal-Wallis H-test and post hoc paired Mann-Whitney test analyzes of vulnerability type by expectations of emergency services use of SM.
