TITLE:
Application of Social Media Tool in Disaster Management in Disaster-Prone Communities in Freetown, Sierra Leone
AUTHORS:
Ibrahim Abdulai Sawaneh, Luo Fan, Brima Sesay
KEYWORDS:
Social Media Use, Disaster Management, Disaster-Prone Community, Task Complexity, Ability, Effort
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.13 No.6,
June
25,
2023
ABSTRACT: This study used both the “digital divide” and “attribution theory” to
analyze the propensity of social media use by disaster-prone communities. The
study focused on the variables that may affect how social media is used for
disaster management. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized in the
study to analyze the data and test the hypotheses after using a survey
questionnaire to collect the data. The study’s findings show that: 1) communities that are
vulnerable to disasters are less likely to use social media for disaster
management, 2) personal effort and intention to use social media for disaster
management are positively correlated, and 3) task complexity and intention to
use social media for disaster management are negatively correlated. The study
added to the body of knowledge regarding the role social media plays in
disaster management.