Abstract
This paper proposes an ecological view to investigate how disparities in mobile technology use reflect vulnerabilities in communities vis-à-vis disaster preparedness. Data (n=1,603) were collected through a multi-country survey conducted equally in rural and urban areas of Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, and Vietnam, where mobile technology has become a dominant and ubiquitous communication and information medium. The findings show that smartphone users' routinised use of mobile technology and their risk perception are significantly associated with disaster preparedness behaviour indirectly through disaster-related information sharing. In addition to disaster-specific social support, smartphone users' disaster-related information repertoires are another strong influencing factor. In contrast, non-smartphone users are likely to rely solely on receipt of disaster-specific social support as the motivator of disaster preparedness. The results also reveal demographic and rural–urban differences in disaster information behaviour and preparedness. Given the increasing shift from basic mobile phone models to smartphones, the theoretical and policy-oriented implications of digital disparities and vulnerability are discussed.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 734-760 |
Number of pages | 27 |
Journal | Disasters |
Volume | 42 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Oct 2018 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Acknowledgements:This project was supported by USAID (United States Agency for International Development) Grant Award Number AID-OFDA-G-13-00038 and by the Global Disaster Preparedness Center.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2018