If you’ve been active on the Internet or tuned into the news over the last couple of days, I’m sure that you are well aware of the Virginia Tech massacre. The tragedy that occurred was entirely unexpected and I, as the rest of the world, are truly sorry for those involved and impacted by the incident. This installment of K&C is to both function as a recognition for the those who were injured and killed in the shooting (the affected families and student body will be in our thoughts and prayers), and to discuss the role modern technology played during, immediately after, and in the days after the tragedy on the Virginia Tech campus occurred. Technology acted as lifeline for the students and families affected by the unfortunate and depressing massacre.
Cellphones, social networking sites, and blogging services played, and continue to play, a crucial role on the VT campus. In the moments of confusion immediately after the massacre, the emotionally shocked student body was able to find solace in their mobile phones. Cellular towers erupted with an increase in traffic; students were calling their friends and family to inform them of their physical and emotional status and to learn more about developments made in the massacre’s investigation. Cellphones were truly a blessing to the parents and friends who sat nervously in front of their televisions, watching the story unfold. A single "mom and dad, I’m okay…" call in the short hours after the massacre was of indescribable significance to the parents who feared for the life of their child. Mobile phones functioned a means to keep family members and friends updated with one’s current condition. Camera phones also served a dual purpose in the moments after the massacre. Camera phones supplied some of the first photographs of the massacre and the devastation it has caused. As images of mourning students, distraught faculty, and heroic police officers were being captured on camera phones, the scrambled emotions of the involved parties were locked into an image for eternity.
Social networking sites, such as Facebook, functioned in a similar fashion. CNET reports that "Facebook [has] become a bulletin board" at Virginia Tech, stating that VT students are using the online groups to inquire about their friends and to quickly spread news throughout the entire campus. CNET states that Verizon Wireless noted an increase in cellphone usage on the day of the massacre by 400%, which pushed transmission towers over their threshold, and thus, Facebook groups and other online organizations were formed. While social networking services are perhaps the most suitable means to spread news and organize student based events in the post-massacre days, they also serve as a means of emotional expression. Thanks to blogs and social networking groups, Students are able to express their emotions to a group of highly supportive students who are undergoing similar emotionally traumatic experiences, such as losing a best friend. Dedicated blogs, such as College Times, provide updated news and offer services like emotional assistance. Computer World comments on the use of social networking at Virginia Tech, stating that Facebook was a medium in which students could stay informed on the issues, seek assistance, and communicate with friends and family. Social networking sites will continue to play a crucial role in the days following the VT massacre; students can log on to not only seek emotional assistance and consolation, but to also stay informed on the status of their friends who were injured both physically and emotionally in the crisis. Facebook has assisted in the organization and execution of a candlelight vigil in memory of those who were sadly victims in the massacre, and will continue to help organize similar events.
It is apparent that cellular phones, blogs, and social networking groups are assisting significantly in the healing process after the Virginia Tech Massacre. The student body is able to unite and mourn together, thanks to the aforementioned services.
In My Opinion
I would like to acknowledge the significant roles mobile phones and social networking sites have played over the past few days. Cell phones have permitted students to quickly inform and update their families with their current condition and seek family based assistance. Facebook and other social networking sites have initiated student oriented support groups and offer condolences to the mass number of students affected by the massacre. Such services have truly functioned as a lifeline for those impacted by the massacre; they are means to communicate, ask for help, and stay informed on the latest news.
The Virginia Tech massacre must have been a very frightening experience, and while online social groups and cellphones can never bring back one of the many innocent victims, they function as a outlet for those affected by the shooting.
Again, I would like to say how sorry I am for the deaths of so many innocent students. Such a massacre is truly horrifying and I will keep the affected families and students in my thoughts.
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