Truth, trust, and civic duty: Cultural factors in citizens' perceptions of mobile phone apps and social media in disasters

Sandra Appleby‐Arnold,Rémy Bossu,Noellie Brockdorff,Laure Fallou

doi:10.1111/1468-5973.12282

Abstract

AbstractThis study investigates how citizens perceive the role of mobile phone apps specifically designed for disaster communication, and how these perceptions may differ from perceived roles and functions of social media in disaster‐related tasks/situations. Focusing on trust in authorities and technology use, results suggest that social media use not only fosters trust via shared narratives and collective sense‐making but may also improve trust relationships through local authorities assuming the function of a trustworthy information provider. In disaster apps usage, trust between citizens and authorities is generated through perceptions of shared responsibility rather than shared narratives. Apps were seen as mechanisms that reveal authorities' general willingness to share control, which may help overcome citizens' perceptions that they are distrusted by authorities.

Highlights

Increased adoption of social media in crisis situations started about 15 years ago, and in particular, the last decade has seen immense interest and an increasing number of studies on the actual and po‐ tential uses of social media for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery (Alexander, 2013; Reuter & Kaufhold, 2018)
The focus of this study was on which trust relationships between citizens and authorities are most favourable for the uptake of social media or mobile phone apps, and how the use of social media or mobile phone apps may contribute to building, or re‐building trust
It can enable disaster victims to maintain a sense of “home,” at least virtually (Hughes et al, 2008). Building upon these previous studies, we found that partic‐ ipants were interested in social media communication with local authorities, which represents an opportunity for these authorities to build or improve local trust relationships based on a place‐sharing that is both physical and virtual

Summary

Introduction

Increased adoption of social media in crisis situations started about 15 years ago, and in particular, the last decade has seen immense interest and an increasing number of studies on the actual and po‐ tential uses of social media for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery (Alexander, 2013; Reuter & Kaufhold, 2018). With 2.27 billion monthly active Facebook users and 336 million monthly active Tweeters worldwide in 2018,2 a large number of studies have focused on the roles and usage patterns of these two types of social media in times of crisis, such as the spread of tweets in response to the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris (Cvetojevic & Hochmair, 2018). During the acute phase of a disaster, when intensified information‐seek‐ ing is a coping mechanism with the stressful situation, social media can reduce citizens' feelings of uncertainty and isolation, enhance collaborative problem‐solving, and foster citizens' ability to “make sense” of the event, as they do provide the basis for new understandings and for new behavioural norms

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion