BY JUSTINE BROWN, Center for Digital Education
Purdue University in Lafayette, Ind., has an official Twitter account used to relay emergency alert messages — something a new study has found to be particularly effective. The widespread popularity of social media and associated mobile apps, especially among young people, has potential in public safety, a new study finds. Use of such sites as Facebook and Twitter has become so significant that universities should strongly consider utilizing them to spread information during campus emergencies, according to a study from the University at Buffalo School of Management called Factors impacting the adoption of social network sites for emergency notification purposes in universities. Social media not only enables campus authorities to instantly reach a large percentage of students to provide timely and accurate information during crisis situations, the study states, but sending messages through social networking channels also means students are more likely to comply with emergency notifications received.
Share on Facebook