While social media is normally thought of as a way to connect with family, friends and business associates, it’s actually used for much, much more.
Social media can now help you find your dream job (with professional sites such as LinkedIn), it can keep you up to date on the latest entertainment gossip and it can even alert you of public health issues you should be aware of.
By following your favorite news stations – both local and national – you can stay current on emergency issues you may need to know about.
Examples include incoming storms, beef recalls from local grocery stores and worldwide outbreaks of diseases. News channels can quickly and efficiently blast information to the public with just one Tweet, Facebook status update or trending alert.
Organizations you may want to follow to stay in-the-know include the American Red Cross, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and the Food and Drug Administration.
In-Tune with Health Alerts
An example of the power that social media has on consumers when it comes to health issues is when peanut butter was recalled in the summer of 2014 from Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found traces of salmonella in a variety of nut butters sold at the stores, including raw almond butter from Trader Joe’s and roasted almond butter at Whole Foods.
There have been dozens of similar recalls on a variety of meats, cheeses, ice creams, nut products and more.
By following public health associations on social media, you can stay in-the-know with food recalls and other important health outbreaks that may affect you and your family.
Social media helps keep the public current on health insurance issues that may affect you, too.
As the following article shows, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General releases 2015 work plan which goes in-depth on Medicare, Medicaid, public health issues and more.
Social Media Alerts Public of Health Issues
One of the reasons social media is so effective is because of the people who are using it actively.
People can share newsworthy articles and timely, relevant information with their family and friends and continue passing it on. This is also referred to as something going “viral.”
Any outbreak of a disease, such as the flu epidemic or Ebola, is shared and shared across social media and news channels until most everyone has been made of aware of what’s going on.
It starts with a simple Tweet, Facebook post or newsworthy article and goes from there.
Social media is currently the most effective way to share a news story, with a recent CNN study finding almost half of all news stories are shared on social media, followed by email, texting and instant messenger.
This is good news for the public.
If an emergency were to arise – anything from a weather emergency to a disease outbreak – you can rest assured knowing that you will hear about it as soon as the word gets out.
You can do your part by sharing and spreading newsworthy information with your social media followers, too.
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