In Japan, Smartphones Change the Face of Disaster

Last year's devastating earthquake in Haiti left more than 300,000 people dead and an estimated 1 million homeless. The damage and deathtoll were intensified by the country's lack of infrastructure. And the utter chaos that followed the quake was due, in part, to citizens' inability to reach each out, find loved ones or contact authorities. 

In sharp contrast, Japan's response to last week's unimaginable earthquake and tsunami is highly advanced, and reliant on technology. Of course, Japan is on the leading-edge of technology, and its citizens rely heavily on their mobile phones to stay connected. 

Following the earthquake last week, landlines went down and people turned to their smartphones -- not only to reach out to each other and the world, but also to gain information from social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. CNET has reported that overwhelmed cellular companies were forced to deny upward of 80 percent of calls in the first few days of the disaster. Not surprisingly, text messaging was also hampered. 

The ways in which mobile phones and social media have changed our world are fascinating. These technologies not only help people mired in a crisis; they also help the humanitarian cause. 

To make a $10 donation that will help the people of Japan recover from this horrific tragedy, text one (or several) of the following organizations:

• ADRA Relief: text SUPPORT to 85944
• American Red Cross Relief: text REDCROSS to 90999
• Convoy of Hope: text TSUNAMI or SUNAMI to 50555
• GlobalGiving: text JAPAN to 50555
• International Medical Corps: text MED to 80888
• Save the Children Federation, Inc.: text JAPAN or TSUNAMI to 20222
• World Relief Corp. of National Association of Evangelicals: text WAVE to 50555
• World Vision Inc.: Text 4JAPAN or 4TSUNAMI to 20222