As I read about Haiti on my twitter feed, I wonder what kind of impact the outpouring of information provided by personalized social media is having on society... can it serve to bridge the north south divide in politics and perspective? Or do we merely become desensitized? Is it pushing the boundaries of what the global north can ignore, hearkening back to the days of Vietnam, where televised battle inspired widespread resistance to war in the US? Through the uncoupling of media from global capitalism, can we create news sources which challenge the oppressive nature of globalization? I sure hope so, because if Copenhagen was any marker of where multilateral governmental co-operation will be heading in the coming decade, we are going to need something else to help us out of this heap of environmental and social troubles...
article follows:
Haiti Earthquake: Twitter Pictures Sweep Across the Web [PHOTOS]
An outpouring of well wishes and support for the Haitian people has swept the web in the wake of a devastating 7.0 earthquake in Haiti. And just like during the Eureka earthquake, tweets have quickly spread moving and gut-wrenching TwitPics of the disaster.
Photos taken by journalist @CarelPedre on his mobile phone are providing a glimpse into the devastation that has slammed the Caribbean nation. Another Twitter user, @MarvinAdy, shared those pictures through TwitPic (Twitpic), resulting in tens of thousands of views and countless retweets.
There are also thousands of Facebook (Facebook) and Twitter (Twitter) updates on the disaster appearing every minute. The web has been moved by the plight of the Haitian people. Social media has quickly become the first place where millions react to large-scale catastrophes.
Our best wishes go out to the victims of this devastating natural disaster, as well as their families. Below is a collection of the most retweeted pictures coming out of Haiti, courtesy of TwitPic.
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