Social Sandy

As waves and hurricane-force winds battered New York and New Jersey during Sandy, the storm’s social media presence swept over the rest of the world. From jokes and warnings beforehand to fear-tinged updates during and pure awe of the damage afterward, Sandy was experienced online, as a hurricane never has before. Nobody was sure what to make of the National Weather Service’s early doom-and-gloom forecast. There was no such confusion in the aftermath as pictures of the damage exploded virally.

Doctored photos of the storm’s eye framed over the Statue of Liberty or sharks in the streets of Manhattan were shared by hundreds of thousands. Some of the real damage needed no Photoshop for shock value. I saw a house floating down a river in Connecticut where only the roof showed above the water, and the images of the flooded subway system were surreal. As if flowing water in Lower Manhattan was not jarring enough.

Everyone was posting about Sandy. Companies have been criticized for using what became a deadly storm to shamelessly promote a special deal on their products. People felt compelled to post about Sandy, and I have a friend that even live-tweeted the whole storm as the story developed. And after, social media played a big role in relief efforts. Facebook events and Twitter hashtags helped organize volunteers and solicit donations. Also, social media played a big role in promoting the benefit 12/12/12 concert for Sandy relief. It didn’t hurt that Kanye wore a skirt.

I think this is just the nature of global events from now on. Singular events have for a long time been able to garner media attention and capture the world’s imagination, but now social media has given millions their own soapbox to stand on before, during, and after.