OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying · 2017 · 75 citations · 45 references
Social SciencesCommunicationSociologyBereavement CareCommunication TheoryInterpersonal CommunicationBereavement CounselingEnd-of-life CommunicationEnd-of-life CounselingGrief CounselingGrief In FamiliesSocial MediaBereavement In Later LifeDeath Communication In FamiliesFamily Communication About DeathGrief ExperienceMeaning-making After LossMourning Practices OnlineOnline Grief SupportPost-bereavement Commemoration
This article uses grounded theory methodology to analyze in-depth interviews conducted with mourners who used social networking sites during bereavement. The social media mourning (SMM) model outlines how social networking sites are used to grieve using one or more of the following: (a) one-way communication, (b) two-way communication, and (c) immortality communication. The model indicates causal conditions of SMM: (a) sharing information with family or friends and (sometimes) beginning a dialog, (b) discussing death with others mourning, (c) discussing death with a broader mourning community, and (d) commemorating and continuing connection to the deceased. The article includes actions and consequences associated with SMM and suggests several ways in which SMM changes or influences the bereavement process.
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