September 11, 2001: There was no Facebook, there was no Twitter and few had mobile cell phones. Those who did rarely had text messaging capabilities. And there was certainly no mobile Internet to turn to or photos to post to Instagram. When American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, we heard about it on television, maybe on the Internet or, for most of us students, word of mouth.

When tragedy struck, there was no social media for us to turn to. We could not log onto Facebook to give the victims our deepest sympathies. We could not follow our most trusted news sources on Twitter for up-to-date information. We could not send out mass text messages to our loved ones, asking if they were OK.

Monday, tragedy struck again in America. This tragedy was really one of the first in the United States as seen through the eyes of social media as it was happening. Videos, photos, sound clips, and first-hand reports were placed immediately online on Twitter and Reddit for anyone to see. The bombs went off around 2:50 p.m. eastern time and within moments the Twitter world knew. Instantly, Reddit had threads on live updates, NSFW images (gore), video, even an AMA from a volunteer near the finish line. This was not just reported on television, but was being reported by even the average citizen.   

In less than two hours, there were over 700,000 mentions of the Boston Marathon on Twitter alone. Suddenly everyone knew what had happened. There was no need to turn on the radio or television. The news came to you. The news came to your cellphone screen. It came to your computer screen. It was everywhere.

It was amazing that anyone could report their first-hand experiences. Even in the wake of a tragedy, I cannot help but think just how amazing technology is and how far it has progressed in just over a decade.

As much as I personally have never been the biggest fan of social media, I cannot deny its usefulness in horrific situations such as this. While not all cell phones were getting through, the Internet was still useable for many people. Even the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency tweeted out, “If you are trying to reach friends or family and can’t get through via phone, try texting instead (less bandwidth)” and that was retweeted almost 3,500 times.

This wasn’t just about tweeting or logging onto Facebook to say “look at what I’m watching,” emphasizing the I’m. It was about those who used social media for good. A tool for the average citizen to become a hero, rather than just another young adult in the digital age.

Social media allowed people to know to get out of the area or help if at all possible. They could find out where to donate blood. They could let people know their homes are open to survivors. They could check in with their loved ones to let them know they were fine or ask if others were all right. And many could view the tragedy uncensored if they wished.

News organizations even had to remind people to show caution in what they were reporting to avoid falsifying details.  

Social media can even spark conspiracies such as the “mystery man on the roof” — a man who was on top of one of the buildings, alone, near the bombing site.

Our ability to reach so many people from anywhere in the world in an instant without having to be famous is purely amazing. Many reporters were already on the scene before the bombs went off. The Boston Marathon is one of the most popular races in the world, as it is the oldest, with the first race being held in 1897. It’s what makes the Boston Marathon the dream for many runners — to make the qualifying time to run in the upcoming race. And I would not be surprised if they see a large increase in qualifiers and participants for the 2014 race and an even larger turnout for volunteers.

One day, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone posted something on their social media page and ends up becoming a celebrated hero by accidently finding the source of another unfortunate tragedy. Social Media has changed the way we view everything. It has not (yet) solved who did it or why, but it has changed our views. 

Joanna is a senior in LAS. She can be reached at [email protected].