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Motivations and Risks of Social Media Crowdsourcing in War-torn Societies: Evidence from Syria

Authors:
Khaled Al Omoush
Saad Yassen

Keywords: social media crowdsourcing; motivation; risk; moral continuity of participation

Abstract:
This research aims to investigate motivations of social media crowdsourcing, potential risks, as well as the determinants of continuity of participating in online crowdsourcing communities via social media during civil wars. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has been used for understanding motivations of social media crowdsourcing. The present research also investigates three major potential risks associated with social media crowdsourcing in civil war-torn societies, including direct personal threats, the penetration of terrorism ideology, and advocacy of hatred. The present study revealed that social media is not just a platform for social interaction or other traditional purposes that have been mentioned in the related literature. In the current Syrian crisis, social media crowdsourcing has been employed effectively in exchanging, disseminating, and sharing information, solutions, and advices to meet the basic Syrians' needs and how to deal with the different and complex features of the crisis.

Pages: 42 to 48

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2016

Publication date: April 24, 2016

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-3956

ISBN: 978-1-61208-521-0

Location: Venice, Italy

Dates: from April 24, 2016 to April 28, 2016