The Impact Of Social Media During Times Of Grief

The advent of social media has revolutionized the way we think, interact, and grieve. The large impact of social media during times of grief is evident in how society has dealt with the numerous shootings that defined 2015 and 2016. Although social media does not convey the body language or physical touch that is essential to human communication, it facilitates a medium in which a mass of people can stand in solidarity to support a grieving person(s). In order to overcome grief in today’s world, one must know how to use social media to console and how to make time to grieve.

Most forms of social media involve snippets of very short text. Because there is no eye contact or body language in these snippets, it is imperative that each word be significant. Hashtags are an excellent way to do this. For instance, after the Orlando shooting two weeks ago, many people wrote, “#IStandWithOrlando.” Although this hashtag contains only 17 characters, it conveys plenty of meaning. These hashtags allow society to unite and provide comfort to the grieving victims and survivors. With these bits of text, those that are suffering feel that they are not alone. When these victims look at their Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, they know that there are thousands of people thinking of them and

When Paris was attacked in November of 2015, Facebook gave their users the option of using a French flag filter. This filter was temporary, but like hashtags, it united people from all parts of the world. With these filters, the French people knew that the world understood their plight. Facebook provided a platform in which random strangers were able to stand together in order to console people who have just had their lives shattered. Even if the victims of the Paris attack could not physically feel the touch of those that were supporting them, they were at least given a sense that they were not