‘Social media, a powerful tool for managing crisis’

CHENNAI: Less than a month ago, cyclone Michuang left the city in tatters, and displaced hundreds of thousands of lives. While the Tamil cinema industry was on ground in 2015, this time it was the YouTubers and influencers who were at the forefront.

Kishen Das, Madan Gowri, Mabu Sheriff, Santhosh Prem, Deepika Venkatachalam and Raja Vetri Prabhu, used social media as a tool to raise to help and rescue people in low lying areas. They talk to DT Next as they rewind to the calamity and emphasise on how social media comes in handy during such times

During the moments of a crisis, the true spirit of community shines. We saw incredible acts of kindness and solidarity, not just on the ground but also online. This time, the digital community stepped up. We used our platforms to spread awareness, mobilise help, and provide real-time updates. It’s a testament to how social media and digital influence can be powerful tools in managing crises. This experience has shown that a digital revolution in social activism is not just possible, but happening. Chennai’s resilience is an advantage as it instills hope and courage. However, it should also prompt us to look at long-term solutions and preparedness. The biggest lesson is the importance of community and preparedness. It’s a reminder for all of us, especially those with a platform, to use our influence responsibly and for the betterment of society - Madan Gowri

Crisis like these bring people together. I don’t think anyone from the film fraternity deserves all the credit. It was the general public that stood up as a whole. My contacts with ministers and counselors were all shared by the public during this movement. Chennai is blessed to have its people. There is a strong emotion attached with this place that keeps making sure that the city bounces back. When I volunteered during the 2015 Chennai floods, Facebook played a huge role in the collection and distribution of relief materials. This time, the relief work was much more digitally dependent to source help but then again it’s thanks to all the people who were on ground. Rehabilitation is the harder part of this process. It is southern Tamil Nadu that is going through a lot worse. There are some people who have had unquantifiable loss - Kishan Das

A crisis like Chennai floods allows people to bring out their best versions to make sure that their loved ones are safe. Social media let the creators to showcase more humanity and acts of kindness in these dark days, and this has helped bring people together. When power shut downs took place, I made use my platform to share relevant resource helpline numbers as well as locations of shelters. Highlighting the benefits of social media in times like this, allows more people to embrace its power. Talking about the infrastructure, after 2015 floods, our infrastructure developed multifold and this time it’ll only be better. I would like to say that always be cautious and never take anything for granted. One small contribution can lead to drastic improvements in other lives - Santhosh Prem

In today’s internet era, we are all fortunate to be connected with so many people, resources and contact points. Crisis doesn’t bring people together, people are always there for each other. It shows how knitted and connected all of us are. We influencers influence people in an effective way. If just 7-8 of us can do this, imagine the amount of goodness we can give back to society using technology in the right way. I believe that prevention is better than cure and better late than never. Talk about the right things, influence with quality information and I’m sure a huge digital revolution is on its way - Deepika Venkatachalam and Raja Vetri Prabhu

We can’t differentiate on sadly or fortunately because situations like this will come due to the way we treat the nature. But the great thing is many showing initiative to help the needful people. I tried to use my online presence to the best and was also active on the offline works because some people have to be on ground as well. It is a great thing that digital space is used at its best during situations like these. I think that it is collectively a human advantage to not only Chennai but any other place to bounce back after a crisis. The biggest lesson everyone of us should learn from such situations is to never give up - Mabu Sheriff