Nearly half in quake-hit Noto area felt digital divide
According to the survey by LY, which operates messaging app Line, and Kanazawa University, 48.0% of respondents said there was a gap between those who could access information and those who could not.
The survey was conducted online with 2,094 residents of areas affected by the temblor, which highlighted the need for local governments to improve their information dissemination so that necessary information, including on soup kitchens and other relief measures, reaches affected people.
In the survey, 87.1% of respondents said they trusted official accounts of local governments on the Line app as they gathered information during the chaos just after the disaster.
The share of respondents who said they will use information from such Line accounts again stood at 88.3%.
LY and the university said that local governments have an important role in ensuring the authenticity of information, noting the need to utilize social media so that information is shared smoothly within local communities.
The company also compiled a set of examples of information dissemination conducted on Line through cooperation between the quake-hit city of Suzu and the city of Kobe, which sent officials to help Suzu. The examples, along with tips on wording and timing of information releases, will be disclosed to local government officials.
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