The Paris terror attacks late on November 13th which killed 132 people and injured 349 shocked the world until today. When people started praying for the dead, becoming angry at those terrorists and worrying about the homeless, many social media especially Facebook and Twitter, pushed out some new functions timely which let people feel warm and safe indeed.

Let’s see Facebook first. According to reports, in response to the sudden panic, Facebook quickly launched a security verification tool, by which users can clearly know if their relatives and friends are safe. This tool will ask if the user was in attack on site, and if they are willing to inform friends about their security status. It can be also used to find specific friends. If you know a friend’s safety status, you can label for him such as ‘he is safe’ to inform his other friends.

Then we can look at Twitter. After terror attacks, Paris guarded itself into a curfew state immediately. That caused some parts of Paris public transport system are closed or paralyzed such as metros, and so that a certain number of audience who watched the football match near the attack site and other citizens couldn’t go home at that night. Most people chose the gymnasium totake refuge, while people left were still in the street having no ideas where to go. However, the citizens on Twitter created the topic #PortOuverte, which means "open door" in French. Householders who can provide drinking water, food, sofa, bedroom or other necessary facilities can post information on Twitter by using this hashtag. Homeless people can find the nearest shelter via the hashtag.

Facebook and Twitter are two of the most popular online social platforms worldwide. They moved people at that night. Although social media like them have no emotions but people who use them have feelings and power. Social media didn’t utilize users or disaster to promote their media brands but spread the positive sides to people. At the same time, using platform advantages to help people is a useful marketing strategy for social media.Thanks to these social media, people can communicate in time in such hard situation. 

At last, pray for Paris.