WhatsApp Group Strategies in Crisis Communication Among Libyan Young Migrants Coastal Cities

This study explores how Libyan young migrants in coastal cities use WhatsApp groups for crisis communication during a specific period. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, including an online survey of 150 participants along with content analysis of group communications. Participants reported that over 70% used WhatsApp groups to share urgent information during crises. However, only half felt confident in the privacy and security measures provided by the platform. The use of WhatsApp for crisis communication among young migrants is effective but requires improvements in privacy settings. Enhanced privacy features should be implemented on WhatsApp groups to better protect user communications during crises. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.