It’s been but a few days since the Virginia Tech “massacre” and already the media has covered nearly every angle of the story. I need not go into further detail on all of the media coverage, as we’ve all been inundated with the words, photographs, cell phone videos, e-mails and instant messages that captured the sadness that occurred on April 16.

Even as Cho Seung-Hui was still making his way through the classrooms of Norris Hall, students hunkered down in other rooms and buildings were communicating with the outside world via the Internet. One teacher even used his Webcam to stream video to his students, who remained locked in a basement-level lab.

Minutes after the shootings happened, cell phones would not work due to the number of people trying to make calls. So students began IM’ing friends, letting them know that they were okay. They sent text messages and e-mails to their loved ones that said they were safe.

In the hours after the ordeal was over, Virginia Tech students turned to Facebook to create tributes and memorials. They wrote messages on the victims’ walls, using the site as a means of communication with their lost friends and classmates. They posted photos and let out their thoughts and feelings. They united to support each other through this tragedy. And then, college students across the world joined them.

As marketers, we talk about the power of social networks. This week, Facebook became more than an online social networking site – it became a real community. As of this morning, the Facebook group “A tribute to those who passed at the Virginia Tech shooting” boasted 287,800 members, nearly double that from a couple of days before. And that is just one group. There are hundreds of them, with hundreds and thousands of members, formed in remembrance of the victims, offering prayers, support and moments of silence.

Comments (1)

Name

Title

Comment

Add Comment