I am Safe, so I will Help: Prosocial Impact of Marking Oneself Safe during Disasters

In the aftermath of disasters, people anxiously desire to immediately inquire or inform their loved ones about their safety. A social safety check system (SSCS) is a single-click safety status broadcasting mechanism on social platforms during crises. While millions of people use it globally during disasters, millions ignore the system. Research investigating the antecedents and consequents of SSCS adoption during disasters is scarce. We examine the unforeseen prosocial consequences (donations, volunteering, information sharing) of SSCS adoption. Based on theoretically established link between individuals’ state gratitude and prosocial tendencies, we posit that using SSCS would act as a gratitude intervention and will lead to higher prosocial intentions among adopters as compared to non-adopters. We test our hypotheses using scenario-based controlled experiment. A post-hoc study reveals the motivators and concerns in adoption of SSCS. The study investigates a sociotechnical tool in disaster management with impact on the societal welfare of disaster-hit communities.