The social role of social media: the case of Chennai rains-2015

Abstract

Social media has altered the way individuals communicate in present scenario. Individuals feel more connected on Facebook and Twitter with greater communication freedom to chat, share pictures, and videos. Hence, social media is widely employed by various companies to promote their product and services and establish better customer relationships. Owing to the increasing popularity of these social media platforms, their usage is also expanding significantly. Various studies have discussed the importance of social media in the corporate world for effective marketing communication, customer relationships, and firm performance, but no studies have focused on the social role of social media, i.e., in disaster resilience in India. Various academicians and practitioners have advocated the importance and use of social media in disaster resilience. This article focuses on the role that social media can play during the time of natural disasters, with the help of the recent case of Chennai floods in India. This study provides a better understanding about the role social media can play in natural disaster resilience in Indian context.