•Almost half of respondents (45%) have used social media during emergencies.•Dutch and Italian respondents use social media comparatively frequently.•German use is moderate; British have relatively low interest in future use.•Risk… Click to show full abstract
•Almost half of respondents (45%) have used social media during emergencies.•Dutch and Italian respondents use social media comparatively frequently.•German use is moderate; British have relatively low interest in future use.•Risk cultures of social media use may account for the countries' diverging behavior.•Same barriers and advantages of social media were identified across risk cultures.
               
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