Social Networking Makes A Big Difference in Haiti

Social networking is finally being given credit for what it can do versus what it is, especially in the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Relief organizations, donors, concerned relatives connect using social media to find updates and philanthropic information, proving once and for all that the power of social networking can really make a big difference.

There are currently a lot of blog posts about why it is important to donate money, how you can do to help the hundreds of thousands of displaced Haitians, and what’s happening on the ground every second of every day, but it’s important to take a look at how social networking and technology has literally “rocked” our world since the devastation in Haiti.

Over at The Huffington Post, Online Media Strategist Ari Herzog does a tremendous job viewing Haiti through social media. He provides some powerful examples using video and tweets compiled from all corners of the globe to give readers a 360 degree perspective of the earthquake on Haiti and its population.

Naturally, as a ‘Bleeding Heart Liberal’, I want to do whatever I can to help but not knowing which charity, or charities, to donate to is a big issue. Hoaxers and scammers abound, and the last thing anyone with a heart wants is to donate money to organizations that are more concerned with the overhead of their executive staff than the people that they are trying to help (I won’t get started on celebrity-driven charities like Yele…).

Good thing a site like Charity Navigator exists; it provides an unbiased overview of a dozen or so charities that are currently active in the Haitian relief efforts.

If want to donate without any fuss, you can take part in the Red Cross’ Haiti Through Text Message Campaign by texting “Haiti” to 909999. You’ll be charged $10 on your phone bill for the SMS. The US State Department backs his text message donation initiative, which has raised over $5 million so far. You can follow the Red Cross on Twitter for the latest updates stemming from their efforts in Haiti.

Too much information, too many silos? In today’s New York Times, Chris Csikszentmihalyi, Director of the M.I.T. Center for Future Civic Media, reveals that while social media is helping make a big difference in Haiti, there were “too many places where people were putting information; each site became a silo.” He pointed out that Google is now running a people-finder application that aims to make it easier for people affected by the earthquake in Haiti to find someone or share information about someone in a standardized manner.

Sure, I admit that social networking can be a ‘time killer’, but based on what I’ve seen, it’s our social networks that are the first to immobilize and make a big difference when we need it most — no matter who we are and where we live.

[Source: yellow peril media]

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