Facebook Safety Check Feature – Analyzing the benefits
keywords – facebook, safety, safety check feature, security, Users
Facebook is one of the social media with more than millions of users. Safety check feature is introduced only for natural disasters. This feature was designed actively to serve users usage and needs during disasters.
Introduction
Facebook is one of the most commonly used platforms from children to eldest people. Today everyone are having smart phones, they can access facebook through smartphones. People are eager to login facebook twice or thrice a day to see the post or information shared. People are connected with their families, old friends and colleagues through facebook. Allows people to share their interest, opinion and communicate across various nations. Not only for sharing information used, but also to improve the business.
The number of users on facebook has reached one billion. Many features are provided to attract users. One of the most important features is “Safety check”.
Facebook Safety Check Feature
During a disaster, emergency or tragic event, the user can check in and post the information that he is safe. This gives emotional relief to their worried relatives, friends and close ones. Safety check was introduced in 2014 and functioned as a systematic tool for disaster response. Safety check was used almost 500 times during 2015 – 2016, for giving safety notices to users more than a billion times. The Safety check feature was first activated during the Paris attacks to help the people in the city to inform their friends and family that they are safe and alive. In 2015, the Paris terrorist attack helps the facebook team to realize the usefulness of safety check for all other kinds of emergencies and non-natural disasters.
How does The Facebook Safety Check Feature Work?
Facebook keeps tracking the events that are happening all around the world. Once the disaster information is tracked, facebook checks the location of the event and the credibility of the received information. After that activates the safety check feature to the people’s accounts that are near or in the location.
Once the disaster like tsunami, earthquake, hurricanes, and floods etc, happens the feature will be activated. Facebook keeps track of the user’s location. If it finds that the user’s location is tracked in the disaster area then it activates the safety check feature for the user. This feature is activated in user accounts based on their location or last location or through the internet used. If a disaster happens nearby you, then facebook will send you a notification button asking that you are safe. If you are actually not in the location, then you can mark “I am not in the area” or if you are in the location then say “I am safe”. This will create a news feed story and posts in your timeline that your friends also can see and can mark they also safe.
Benefits of Safety Check Feature
Timely help
With the help of this feature, we come to know about the safety of our close ones during natural disasters. Before this facility, one has to wait for phone calls or messages from the person who is in the disaster location. This may take several hours, sometimes one or two days to communicate with them. But with the help of a safety check, first we come to know that they are safe and alive, which gives great stress relief to their families and friends.
Simplicity
From the word simplicity, we can understand that the feature is simple to use. During disasters, we have to type a message or make a call to our lovable ones to inform them that we are safe and alive. But the safety check feature allows us to press the button simply. This will be posted as a status in our news feed.
Easy Access and user friendly
Facebook app is available on smartphones also. Both literate and illiterate people are using smartphones and all know to access facebook. So during any disaster, if they are in the location then they can access the safety check feature easily. Just they have to open facebook and press the button “I am Safe”. No need for any other information to be typed. Facebook creates the safety check feature and the user has to simply say about his status. Thus safety check feature is user friendly.
Social Responsibility
The safety check feature not only notifies the safety of people to their families and relatives but society also. People from the whole world are accessing and they come to know about the areas that are safe and that are affected by disasters. The whole society views the post and gets information about the disaster status.
Utilization of Safety Check
People have started to use the feature during disasters or emergencies to inform their safety. The usage has increased in recent years. Now the feature is used worldwide for every crisis and disasters.
Conclusion
The growth of facebook is not just for entertainment but also to help people during crises. This safety check feature is an advantage that can be used in emergencies. Helps to recover from the crisis and brings normalcy among people. Using the feature, the information about the person in the disaster is known. There are some demerits but still, the feature is better to communicate. Facebook is also planning to improve with the help of feedback from users. In 2017, community help was added as an update to safety checks, which plays an important role in helping people during and after a disaster.
Written By – Jaya Ambika
FOR MORE INFO VISIT US!
Or mail us at edumoundofficial@gmail.com
Read Similar Articles – WhatsApp Snooping and Data Privacy | PDP Bill, 2018
