App notifications. A hassle or a potential lifesaver?

The revolution of the internet and specifically mobile internet has occurred at a blinding pace over the last decade. With the advent of smartphones, the handheld device has become much more than a medium of voice calling.

The advent of instant messaging services, which are abundantly used by the youth, can be used to improve communication and coordination among the various stakeholders in an organisation or in your private life. Research in the Health Sector shows significant improvement in the communication in the form of sharing photographic evidence, information about accidents and critical alerts as well as an increase in how often and much people were adding information to the instant messaging (IM) application in regular working hours. Disturbance in the routine activities was seen, but the benefits far outweighed the minor hassles.

WhatsApp was shown to be invaluable during the Croydon tram crash, Grenfell Tower fire and London Bridge and Manchester Arena terror attacks. On the morning of the Croydon tram crash, a Doctor in the emergency department at Croydon hospital texted her colleagues via WhatsApp: “Fifty casualties en route from major incident need some doctors please.” The response was phenomenal, and WhatsApp was used as a quick and effective way of ensuring enough staff on-site to look after the 38 people who came to the hospital that day.

Using instant messaging apps for coordination and notification is quick and easy. The challenge is when the information you are passing is time-critical and important, you are left in the hands of the recipient's phone and app settings, with limited knowledge of whether the recipient receives a push notification or not. There is no guarantee that the message is read instantly.

The Croydon tram crash happened at 06:07 in the morning. Would the IM response be different if it happened outside normal working hours, late in the evening when families were having dinner and their phones were put away and set in silent mode? Would your organisation rely solely on the use of Instant Messaging (IM) apps in the event of a crisis or would you ensure alerts and notifications in multiple channels?

1. Make sure to review your app notification settings. If you want to be alerted, make sure it happens.
2. Make important numbers "favourites", alerting you even when your phone is set to silent/Do Not Disturb mode.
3. Keep your phone battery charged or carry a power bank.