Social Networks and Survival

Last month month I talked about the importance of your network in reference to people you know that you can rely on for help in a less than desirable situation. Given that it’s 2009 and we’re online “your network” can and often does refers to a different group of people -not just the ones you know in person locally, but the ones you are connected to online. Your networks on sites like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr or even readers of your own blog can be an endless stream of information, both in and out, that shouldn’t be overlooked. (This image is a fancy visualization of the people I’m connected to on Facebook – that’s a lot of people who are essentially only one click away.)

When talking about disaster scenarios this kind of thing is often ignored because the assumption is if things fall apart it’s not a good idea to count on something that requires power and a cell or internet connection. Those will likely be the first things to fail, right? Maybe not. The problem with this thought process you are only planning for worst case, when in fact you are far more likely to be in a situation somewhere between total chaos and normal every day bliss.

For a perfect example of this one doesn’t need to look any further than what has been happening recently in Iran. By all accounts shit is hitting the fan there. If any of us were in that situation I think it’s a safe guess that we would have kicked into survival mode and started putting some of this training and preparation to good use. This is the kind of thing that could happen in any city around the world, political chaos spilling out onto the streets on a scale large enough that the entire world takes note. Riots, protests, lock downs and martial law, and in the middle of that the web is still working. In fact, sites like the ones I mentioned above have become the primary way for people outside of Iran to find out what is actually happening there. But that’s not all, people inside Iran are using them to coordinate with friends, warn and confirm the safety of family and pass on tips and tricks for staying safe while protesting.

20 years ago this never would have happened. Borders would have been closed and there would have been a media blackout to the point that no one outside of the situation would know what was going on. People on one side of the city would have been totally cut off from those on the other. But today, thanks to the web and these networks, information isn’t as easily stopped. I doubt I need to explain to anyone reading this how these sites allow you to be connected to millions of people through friends of friends of friends. These connections have become invaluable for the people in Iran by giving them an avenue to both tell the world what is happening, and to see that the rest of the world is watching and concerns about what is taking place. Sometimes just knowing that others are aware of your situation will help you feel less alone, it could also be the link you need to get the help or info you need to survive.

This is worth noting because for people coming to this from the web community it’s painfully obvious, however for many others it’s still new and somewhat scary territory. Many “survivalists” for example tend to be more reclusive and private which in this particular situation could work against them. Someone who doesn’t use these sites is certainly at a disadvantage if they become a primary source of communication, whereas someone who had been using them for years and had thousands of personal connections would likely default to using them without missing a beat. I’m not suggesting that everyone reading this should instantly join twitter and make as many connections as possible, I’m simply pointing out that social networking sites have the potential to be incredibly important. Anyone making a habit of considering emergency options and back up plans might want to consider how these tools could be used for more than simply wasting time during work.