Last night, November 13, 2015, France experienced it’s worst attack in modern history. On what should have been a great start to the weekend, terrorists attacked a concert venue, soccer stadium, outdoor cafes and other venues throughout the city. As of this writing, 120 innocent people died in this heinous attack. Dozens more are critically injured.
Social media outlets are doing all they can to help. Some victims caught the carnage on their smartphones and other devices, then released their footage to the world. On Twitter, appeals are being made to help find family members and friends. Thousands are using hashtag #PorteOuverte (open door). This hashtag lets people know their place is open for those left stranded and traumatized by this attack. You see, Paris and the rest of France is under martial law. All travel is grounded. Nobody is getting in, nobody is getting out. So such places are helpful, and in some cases, necessary. Within hours, #PorteOuverte was re-posted over a half million times. Facebook has a “Paris Terror Attacks” feature. It lets you let your FB friends know you’re okay. It allows people to check FB friends who were in Paris during the attacks who haven’t checked in as safe. One Facebook spokesperson summed it up best: “Communication is critical in these moments both for people there and for their friends and families anxious for news.”
To show you how powerful media is during times like, nobody will ever forget journalist Geraldo Rivera getting emotional after learning his daughter was unharmed. His 21-year-old daughter Simone was at the Paris soccer stadium when the attack unfolded. Some may criticize social media for promoting all that’s wrong with the world today. In the last 24 hours, we’ve seen social media be beacons of light at a very dark hour. We at Computer Geeks send our prayers, thoughts and good vibes to those in Paris at this turbulent time.