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The Expression of Death on Social Media: From Parasocial Grief to The Monetistation of Digital Mourning

Feb 20, 2025

Candice Mace, a counselor from Griefline specializing in grief support, joins the discussion on social media's evolving role in mourning. They explore how deaths of public figures create collective grief experiences, especially in parasocial relationships. Mace highlights the complexities of disenfranchised grief, where fans feel isolated despite their emotional connections. The episode also touches on ethical responsibilities of platforms in handling users' digital legacies and the phenomenon of grief policing within online communities.

01:02:10

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Episode guests

Candice Mace

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Social media has transformed mourning customs, allowing fans to express grief for public figures similarly to personal losses.

The phenomenon of parasocial grief highlights the genuine emotional connections fans feel towards celebrities, warranting acknowledgment and support.

Platforms have ethical responsibilities to handle discussions of death sensitively, balancing community support with the risks of exploiting emotional pain.

Deep dives

The Impact of Celebrity Death on Fans

The unexpected death of Liam Payne profoundly affected One Direction fans, especially among Gen Z and millennials who viewed him as a significant part of their childhood. Many fans who had never known him personally expressed feelings of deep loss, likening his passing to losing a family member. The overwhelming response on social media demonstrated the power of parasocial bonds, as fans mourned through tributes, eulogies, and expressions of grief online. This collective mourning raised questions about the validity of such parasocial grief and whether these feelings could be considered genuine.

Intro

4min

The Impact of Parasocial Relationships on Grief in the Digital Age

5min

Navigating Parasocial Grief

13min

Navigating Grief in a Digital Age

8min

Navigating Grief Policing in Online Communities

2min

Grief Connect: Navigating Loss in a Digital Age

30min

Thank you to BRITA for supporting the podcast, helping us keep our deep dives going, and, of course, keeping us hydrated! Check out BRITA here: ⁠https://www.brita.com.au/turnonthetaste

In this episode, I explore the evolution and ethics of death and dying on social media– from how our online experiences shape parasocial grief to the responsibilities that platforms hold when a user– whether famous or not– dies with a complex (and sometimes profitable) digital footprint. This episode also includes interviews with two grief experts, Candice Mace from Griefline and Michelle Moriarity of Grief Connect.

00:38 Intro

3:34 How grief has evolved: Grief on social media

5:32 Liam Payne

7:38 TaliaJoy18

9:19 Is parasocial grief real? Interview with Candice Mace from Griefline

25:00 Expressing grief online: From the post-death spike to creating community

27:52 Grief-policing in fandoms

31:41 The power of social media connection in coping with grief: Interview with Michelle Moriarty from Grief Connect

56:27 The grief economy & social media platforms

57:39 What happens to our digital footprint and data when we die?

1:00:00 Conclusion

Find our podcast YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC18HclY7Tt5-1e3Z-MEP7Jg