Log in if you survived: Collective coping on social media in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines

Abstract

This study explores the use of Facebook for collective coping in the immediate aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms ever recorded on Earth, which hit the Philippines in November 2013. When traditional communication channels became non-operational, non-traditional information sources and communication platforms, such as Facebook, became salient. Drawing from interviews with 29 individuals from various groups—government officials, local journalists, and residents—this study found three collective coping strategies facilitated by Facebook. First, social media became a platform for survivors to tell their friends and family they survived. Second, social media provided a means for residents to participate in the social construction of their experience. Finally, social media also became a venue for survivors to manage their feelings and memories by documenting—and memorializing—what they experienced and how they are moving on.

The association between disaster exposure and media use on post-traumatic stress disorder following Typhoon Hato in Macao, China

“…This supports previous studies which found that media framing of a disaster influences people's interpretation of the event, which may potentially improve community resilience (Norris, Stevens, Pfefferbaum, Wyche, & Pfefferbaum, 2008). A study on the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines provided evidence that collective coping strategies can be facilitated by Facebook (Tandoc & Takahashi, 2017). Future studies are needed to better understand the role of positive messages (e.g.…”

“…A few studies reported a negative association between exposure and disasterrelated mental health. In one exception, a study of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines reported that the use of Facebook facilitated collective coping strategies in the aftermath of the disaster (Tandoc & Takahashi, 2017). In that study, social media served as a platform for survivors to narrate and present their own experience, and this process helped them to manage feelings and memories about the disaster and encouraged coping with the crisis (Tandoc & Takahashi, 2017).…”

Disaster journalism: fostering citizen and community disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience across the disaster cycle

“…News organisations could also broadcast, report on, or 'live-tweet' such events to maximise awareness of and participation in these debates (Hawthorne, Houston, and McKinney, 2013). Moreover, some of these discussions could take place on social media platforms such as Facebook (Tandoc and Takahashi, 2017).…”

Utilizing Extension as a Resource in Disaster Response: Florida Extension’s Communication Efforts During the 2017 Hurricane Season

“…Similarly, text messaging services were the most popular communication tool during Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, due to other resources being too damaged to function. However, after the typhoon subsided and when social network platforms were functioning again, social media platforms were a high source of communication activity (Longboan, 2018;Tandoc & Takahashi, 2017;Yi & Kuri, 2016). During Typhoon Morakot in Taiwan in 2009, social media networks filled in where traditional communication channels like telephone, radio, and television were overloaded or inaccessible (Huang, Chan, & Hyder, 2010).…”

“…In practice, communication channels can be disrupted due to the devastating effects of hurricanes or other natural disasters, and it is also difficult to anticipate disruptions (Pitt & Treen, 2017;Tandoc & Takahashi, 2017). These disruptions can limit the effectiveness of Extension agents to communicate to their target audience and deliver important information to their clients.…”