Facebook chat ‘no substitute for early disaster planning’

People rely too heavily on social media during emergencies, says Darwin researcher

Social media can keep people informed during natural disasters such as floods and bushfires, but it is also creating a “false sense of safety” regarding early planning for emergencies, a Charles Darwin University researcher has said.

Katelyn Rossiter, a psychology lecturer with the college of health and human sciences at the university’s Darwin campus in the Northern Territory, is completing a PhD on social media and disaster preparations.