I, myself, was significantly affected by the Sewol disaster. Although I haven't lived in Korea for the past nine years, I was deeply hurt and alarmed by a tragic incident that happened in my home country. I usually keep up with major events that happen in South Korea, but I paid especially more attention to the sinking of the Sewol ferry. When I first heard the news that a ferry capsized near ocean in South Korea, I wasn't too concerned because I assumed that the government and authorities would take immediate action to prevent any casualties. However, as time passed and I read more news about the incident, I became increasingly concerned and even angry at the fact that so many people had died from the incident. My dad called me several times regarding the issue, and my dad really had a lot to day. My dad could really empathize with the feelings of the victims' families from the position of a father, from the perspective of a man who has a son of a similar age group. I remember my dad telling me he had a hard time sleeping every night because he kept on thinking about how the victims' parents' must have felt after hearing the news of their children.
I also participated in the Yellow Ribbon Movement through social media. Through Facebook, I shared various news articles on my wall regarding the incident, and changed all my profiles pictures of my social networking sites to the yellow ribbon. When my non-Korean friends asked me what the yellow ribbon meant, I took time to explain the full story, and how they should participate in the movement simply by changing their profile pictures. I believe that the social media is a very powerful tool that allows people to spread ideas and share their thoughts to the international community. Because I went to an international school in Malaysia, I have friends from all over the world covering 5 continents. I am proud of the fact that I did something to publicize the activism movement, and I feel that I wouldn't have been able to do so without social media. While the SNS (Social Networking System) can be a very powerful tool, it can certainly be a double edged sword - there are pros and cons to the social media just by observing people's reaction to the Sewol disaster. Some people just expressed their anger towards the government and the bureaucracy for failing to rescue as many people as possible. I also feel that social media can be a medium of superficial information, where people gain access to information but not the necessary information. Social media is to be used with caution, and individual users of social media are responsible for their voice on the Internet.
Once again, I send condolences to the lives that were lost due to the tragic accident.
I also participated in the Yellow Ribbon Movement through social media. Through Facebook, I shared various news articles on my wall regarding the incident, and changed all my profiles pictures of my social networking sites to the yellow ribbon. When my non-Korean friends asked me what the yellow ribbon meant, I took time to explain the full story, and how they should participate in the movement simply by changing their profile pictures. I believe that the social media is a very powerful tool that allows people to spread ideas and share their thoughts to the international community. Because I went to an international school in Malaysia, I have friends from all over the world covering 5 continents. I am proud of the fact that I did something to publicize the activism movement, and I feel that I wouldn't have been able to do so without social media. While the SNS (Social Networking System) can be a very powerful tool, it can certainly be a double edged sword - there are pros and cons to the social media just by observing people's reaction to the Sewol disaster. Some people just expressed their anger towards the government and the bureaucracy for failing to rescue as many people as possible. I also feel that social media can be a medium of superficial information, where people gain access to information but not the necessary information. Social media is to be used with caution, and individual users of social media are responsible for their voice on the Internet.
Once again, I send condolences to the lives that were lost due to the tragic accident.