It’s 2011. How do you reclaim the streets of your city that has been destroyed by riots? You use the power of social media, which is exactly what London is doing.
If you’ve been on Twitter this morning, most likely you have seen that #riotcleanup is a trending topic. Thousands of Londoners and supporters have gone to social networks, like Facebook and Twitter, to do what they can to help. Social media has been proven as a fantastic tool for organizing events and bringing people together for a cause.
Here are a few of the social network accounts in support of getting London back to order after the riots that broke out on Saturday.
- @RiotCleanup Twitter page – It currently has 74,000+ (and growing) followers and is broadcasting cleanup locations and times, as well as other useful information
- London Cleanup Facebook page – This page is being used as a central location for information, as well as supporters offering up their kind words and encouragement to the city
- riotcleanup.co.uk website – This is being updated with riot cleanup information and was put together by a resident of rural Shropshire, England. Although he’s not in London, he saw a need and wanted to help, he told Mashable in an email interview.
Remember the study that showed people who use social networks are actually more connected in real life? I think this shows that networks like Facebook and Twitter can truly bring people together for a cause greater than themselves. Social media isn’t only a way to connect during disasters, but it’s also proving itself to be a reliable resource to bounce back after something like the London riots.
