Ten years after the World Trade Center Twin Towers collapsed, American citizens are getting ready to pay tribute to the lives that were lost and to the fire fighters, police officers, and soldiers who ran into the blazing flames on September 11, 2001. With social media being leveraged as a primary source of communication and sharing during global events, it’s no surprise that online memorial initiatives are taking over the Internet this weekend.
Here are some innovative and history-preserving resources and platforms people are using to commemorate 9/11 digitally.
1) Facebook teamed up with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum to create the Facebook 9/11 Memorial app that allows users to update their profile photos and status updates with a dedication to one of the thousands of people killed in the WTC attacks, Flight 93 and Pentagon bombing.
2) The September 11 Digital Archive contains a collection of electronic media presenting the history of the event. Users can contribute their own personal accounts of the occasion by uploading photographs and documents.
3) American Express launched the I Will Volunteer Facebook app for citizens to share how they’re going to be a part of the day of service. The app provides a list of volunteer opportunities for people who want take action in their local communities.
4) The 911Day.org site, featuring the “I Will” campaign, provides an outlet for people to submit text or video pledges stating what they’ll do this September 11th to honor it as a day of remembrance and service.. Developed by GOOD/Corps, the movement was designed to turn 9/11 into the day to do something good for someone else –not just on the 10th anniversary, but ongoing from year to year. Here’s the campaign’s PSA, highlighting citizen and some celebrity friends declaring what they’ll do to be of service this 9/11.
5) While the Internet has become the main platform for sharing memories of 9/11, TV was the primary outlet 10 years ago when Ground Zero became a reality. For this reason, one of the most comprehensive online resources for the occasion is the Television News Archive. The Internet Archive has gathered 3,000 hours of raw footage and international TV news coverage from September 11 – 17, 2001 to form a project called “Understanding 9/11: A TV News Archive .”
How are you commemorating 9/11 this year? Sound off in the comments section. I’d love to learn about your local initiatives.
