The Role of Social Media and Communication in the Search for Missing Persons During Wartime
The Role of Social Media and Communication in the Search for Missing Persons During Wartime

Summary/Abstract: The study examines the role of social media in the search for missing persons during the full-scale war in Ukraine, highlighting its multifaceted functions in operational coordination, documentation, and memorialization. It focuses on the initial weeks of the conflict when official mechanisms for registration and search were partially paralyzed or inaccessible, and social platforms emerged as primary channels for rapid information exchange. Social media facilitated real-time reporting of disappearances, enabling families, volunteers, and civic organizations to synchronize their efforts and create decentralized digital networks for identifying missing individuals. The analysis demonstrates how social media platforms served as dynamic repositories of information, where posts documenting personal data, photographs, and circumstances of disappearance contributed to the formation of digital archives with long-term relevance.The study further examines the documentary and identification functions of social media, using the cases of Mariupol and Bucha as illustrative examples. These cases highlight the critical evidentiary and memorial significance of social media, demonstrating that platforms can serve as indirect identification tools when traditional procedures are unavailable or delayed. The research also examines the risks tied to public search activities, particularly regarding military personnel, where the excessive dissemination of sensitive information can compromise operational security. The study underscores the importance of media literacy, coordination with official institutions, and strategic communication to balance humanitarian objectives with safety concerns. Overall, the article presents the first systematic scholarly analysis of social media as a tool for searching for missing persons in wartime, highlighting its dual role in enabling immediate humanitarian responses and creating long-term digital archives for legal, memorial, and analytical purposes.

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