How Grieivng is Changing
The shocking events at Virginia Tech made me realise how the internet is changing the world of grief. We used to be on our own with a small group of friends - and it was hard to talk as much as you wanted because you were conscious of the emotional drain on the people around you. On the SeattlePi.com there is an article discussing the grief of the students and relatives.
Here is a snippet
“From blogging to cell phone video, technology has forever changed the way we process and communicate about tragedy.” The topic was discussed at the University of Washington as well..
“”We talked about the shootings in the context of the information coming out of the community through Flickr photos, through LiveJournal posts, through the CNN video clip from the student who shot it with a cell phone. Then the students apparently needed to explore the subject more, relating it back to the shooting at our campus.”
They then turned to their social networking sites to discuss the tragedy. “What better place to mourn someone than a place that they themselves build to express who they are, and a place where the deceased and his or her friends may have spent a great deal of time interacting?”
An inportant aspect of grief is being able to talk, honestly about what you are feeling with people who understand, people who you trust. The internet is an invaluable resource for all of us now. I may have only lost one person but connecting with you on this blog allows me to work through my feelings……
Tags: bereavement, broken-heart, depression, Grief, losing-someone, memories, shootings, students, virginia-tech, watching-someone-die, widowRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Grief
2 opinions for How Grieivng is Changing
Candace
Apr 18, 2007 at 8:16 pm
“…the internet is changing the world of grief.”
this is so true.
Sometimes when I am so busy I cannot keep up, I think the pace of life has been taken over by technology, and can be detrimental.
Then something like this terrible tragedy comes along, and I absolutely can see how we have managed to improve communication between humans.
I could send my motherly hug to students from hundreds of miles away. I could offer support and encouragement and my own tears as well
Tiffany
Apr 19, 2007 at 3:41 pm
I find that chatting through the internet is much easier for me then a group. I can type out the words much better them saying them. I know that a lot of people feel the same way, especially people in their 20’s like me. I do not know what I would have done without this blog and others like it. I felt like no one knew what I was feeling because none of my friends or family lost a spouse, they really didn’t know what I was and am going through. The Internet gives us a chance to speak to people across the world about the same issues. I do hope that the people in Virginia Tech will be able to find the support they need. I could not imagine the pain of losing 33 friends and classmates in one day, my heart goes out to them all.
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