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When my roommate told me that to date, Americans had raised more money for Haiti than we ever did for Katrina relief, I wasn’t the least bit surprised. In my mind, this has nothing to do with compassion, severity of the disaster or lack of patriotism. In my mind, this has everything to do with social media’s increasingly important role in our society.

We’ve all heard of the “Text Haiti to 90999″ campaign, which enables the Average Joe to easily donate $10 through his phone bill, without even having to pull out a credit card. Immediately, I wonder why nothing of this caliber ever came to fruition during Katrina, or any other disaster for that matter. Of course we were technologically advanced enough “back then,” but I honestly credit social media’s reach with the impact that this campaign has made on the devastation and disaster relief efforts in Haiti.

Social media has created a platform for celebrities to not only use their fame to spread the word about their efforts and donations, but to engage and challenge their fans to do the same and get involved. In turn, the fans spread the word, and their followers do the same. It’s amazing, really- the capabilities that social media has.

The American Red Cross has clearly taken notice of this, as they have Tweeted literally hundreds of times since disaster struck. Updates, retweets, and thank you’s for donations fill the account. Furthermore, they even use Twitter as a platform to promote other social media tools, like YouTube videos and Facebook groups. 

Well guys, the proof is in the pudding. There is no denying the scope and reach of social media, and I am so proud to be entering into a field that has the capabilities to serve as a basis for raising millions of dollars for people in need.

Via @RyanSeacrest from CNN.com

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