The use of social media in outbreak communication

Abstract

Nowadays, outbreaks have an important place in public health emergencies both with emerging novel infectious agents and spreading around the world. Outbreaks in the times when people’s need for information increased. This is where risk communication comes into play. With the information provided during the epidemic, people are made to make informed decisions for themselves and those around them. Informed decisions made by people play a key role in limiting the outbreak. Technological developments since the beginning of the 21st century have led to changes in risk communication. The widespread use of the Internet, mobile phones and social media has enabled the use of new communication technologies in risk communication. Since the beginning of the 21st century, this change can be observed in SARS, influenza (H1N1), zika and ebola outbreaks. This article examines how the risk communication during outbreaks is provided by national and international institutions through social media and the internet, using the literature.

Keywords

• communication,risk,outbreaks,social media

Salgın iletişiminde sosyal medyanın kullanımı

Abstract

Günümüzde salgınlar hem ortaya çıkan yeni etkenler hem de tüm dünyaya yayılabilmeleri nedeniyle halk sağlığı acilleri içerisinde önemli bir yer tutmaktadır. Salgınlar insanların bilgi ihtiyacının arttığı dönemlerdir. Burada risk iletişimi devreye girmektedir. Salgın sırasında verilen bilgiler ile insanların kendileri ve çevresinde bulunanlar için bilinçli karar vermeleri sağlanır. İnsanlar tarafından alınan bilinçli kararlar salgının sınırlandırılmasında anahtar rol oynar. Yirmi birinci yüzyılın başından itibaren meydana gelen teknolojik gelişmeler risk iletişiminde değişiklikler olmasına yol açmıştır. İnternetin, mobil telefonların ve sosyal medyanın kullanımın yaygınlaşması, risk iletişimde yeni iletişim teknolojilerinin kullanılmasını sağlamıştır. Yirmi birinci yüzyılın başından bu yana meydana gelen SARS, influenza (H1N1), zika ve ebola salgınlarında bu değişim gözlenebilmektedir. Bu makalede salgınlar sırasında risk iletişiminin sosyal medya ve internet aracılığı ile ulusal ve uluslararası kurumlar tarafından nasıl sağlandığı literatür gözden geçirilerek incelenmiştir.

Keywords

• iletişim,risk,salgınlar,sosyal medya

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