Mourning 'suits' social media
The article discusses the modern phenomenon of people quickly sharing their grief over public figures' deaths on social media, often accompanied by personal memories and photos.
The article explores the tendency of individuals to navigate their sorrow over the death of public figures through social media rather than through personal mourning. It highlights how people often find themselves searching for the one moment they interacted with the deceased, typically manifested in faded selfies that were long forgotten until the news prompts a rush to share them online as a tribute. This behavior, once deemed awkward, has become a normalized method of expression for grief.
The author notes that even if a person has not actively participated in this trend, they likely observe their timelines filled with images of recently deceased public figures. This phenomenon occurs almost instantaneously, often before the news is properly processed in the media. The article essentially questions the appropriateness of this rush to share and conform to such norms in the context of personal loss.
As societal norms have shifted, the discussion underlines the balance between personal grief and public acknowledgment, suggesting that the interplay between these realms can create a unique, albeit sometimes uncomfortable, experience for the grieving individual. The implication is that while social media provides an outlet for shared mourning, it also raises questions about the sincerity and depth of such expressions in the digital age.