Mourning in the 21st Century: Death and Social Media

When news broke this week of Whitney Houston’s death, how did you find out?  I bet it was either Facebook or Twitter, right?  All it takes is one tweet or status update, and like a match to a bucket full of gasoline, the news explodes.  But this isn’t just the celebration of a monster slam dunk or an unknown kid playing guitar, this is the announcement of someone’s death.  Such announcements used to be reserved for page A3 of your local newspaper, or for those more famous, the lead story on the local news.  By no means did half the world know of someone’s passing within 30 minutes of their death.

Social media has undoubtedly had an effect on how we live our lives—from making friends, to having debates, to dating. But when it comes to dealing with death, deciding social media’s impact as good or not is a very personal decision. For me I believe it is good.  It takes what used to only occur in funeral homes, greeting cards or cramped hospital rooms, and brings together family, friends and communities to mourn, celebrate and grieve, together.

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