After his mother died, Paul Cebar of Milwaukee, Wisc., began to scan and post photos to Facebook from an album that had belonged to her to honor her memory. Photo by Darren Hauck for The New York Times
A profound insight in the New York Times story A New Ritual, Many Find Solace Online about how we use Facebook and social media to help us mourn and share our grief journey with others, written by Samuel Freedman, New York Times Columnist of On Religion and my former professor at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. I’m quoted in the column saying,
“When someone dies, you want everyone to know this life so that he or she did not live in vain,” said Denise Carson, author of “Parting Ways,” a book about innovative end-of-life rituals.
“Our fear of this person fading from our memory triggers a life review of all the moments shared together,” she continued. “Memories of the deceased dump from our subconscious into our conscious mind. It can be overwhelming. Social media gives us a platform to organize our reflections. Now we have a stage online to transmit these life stories. And we have a place that allows us to share and connect with others in our hour of grief.” To read the article go to New York Times