Read on Twitter
Have you lost a loved one who was also a friend on #socialmedia? We wondered how social media helps and hurts the grief process for young people who have experienced this kind of loss.
A thread on our new study: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/XWCS4HJB86R7P6FNSKNG/full?target=10.1080/15325024.2020.1820227
A thread on our new study: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/XWCS4HJB86R7P6FNSKNG/full?target=10.1080/15325024.2020.1820227
In our survey of 1,119 people, 415 (37%) identified as grievers-those who have lost someone in real-life who was also a friend on social media. We found no socio-demographic differences between grievers and non-grievers, suggesting this affects a wide variety of young people.
We asked qualitative ?s about pos/neg effects.
Positive influences of social media on grief:
support
sharing memories
comfort from old account
useful dissemination of information
Positive influences of social media on grief:
support sharing memories comfort from old account useful dissemination of information
Negative influences of social media on grief:
reminder of death
negative comments
insincere messages
lack of privacy
unwanted propagation of information
Suggests emotional support derived via SM while grieving may be different than in-person support.
reminder of death negative comments insincere messages lack of privacy unwanted propagation of informationSuggests emotional support derived via SM while grieving may be different than in-person support.
What do these findings suggest?
1. #healthprofessionals should explore with ANY young adult patient who has experienced a loss how he/she is using SM.
2. #SoMe companies should build in options for memorializing accounts with input from users
1. #healthprofessionals should explore with ANY young adult patient who has experienced a loss how he/she is using SM.
2. #SoMe companies should build in options for memorializing accounts with input from users
This study is especially important in light of #COVID19, which has shifted many #bereavement activities traditionally held in person to #online spaces. It will be important for us to think of ways to maximize the positive and minimize the negative.
Further questions raised by our investigation:
How does relationship to deceased and time since death affect influence of social media on grievers?
What is the long-term influence on the grief process?
How does it affect the risk for complicated grief?
How does relationship to deceased and time since death affect influence of social media on grievers? What is the long-term influence on the grief process? How does it affect the risk for complicated grief?
I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to present on preliminary findings at @BehavioralMed and now see this work through to being published in the Journal of Loss and Trauma. Shoutout to my amazing coauthors, @ashensa, @cescobarv, @jaimesidani, Liz Miller, and @brianprimack.
