It seems that millions of people are responding to the 8.9 Japanese earthquake and tsunami by posting links, video and messages about friends in Japan at a rate of dozens of posts per second. As cell networks jam, some of the few places that people and loved ones can get information are social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Status updates, worries about loved ones and news links seem to be found in almost everyone's news feed, according to AllFacebook, and people are getting messages to and from Japan through Facebook posts:
"Praying for all those people affected by the earthquake in Japan. Also praying that my uncles and grandmother are OK there in Tokyo," wrote Reina Maehata Shelby, 41, formerly of Eureka, Calif.
"Mr. Takayamahas still not checked in. Mr. Honda has not heard from him either but thinks that he is high enough in the north east that he should be fine," posted Paul Garfunkel from Hamburg, N.J.
Apparently the National Weather Service seems to have noticed the activity on the social network and placed a tsunami watch page on Facebook, so readers can keep abreast of what's going on in the Pacific.
While we use Facebook and Twitter for entertainment or our own diverse interests, it's in catastrophes like these that we see how important it is to be connected.
