So I ran across this article while checking out some sites for a paper I'm working on. Online social networking has begun to take on elements of the online memorials that allow family and friends to collectively vent their grief. This is nothing new. My college roommate lost his little brother in a tragic accident and subsequently created an online memorial to his brother.
What I find interesting is how adaptable social networking sites are turning out to be. No one really expected them to be used in the ways that they're starting to be used. Overall I think this is great. I can't really think of a healthier and more productive way to use technologies like this than to bring people together in a time of grief and allow them to provide one another with emotional support. One site that I initially thought would turn my stomach (it's all pretty morbid) is Mydeathspace.com which actually tracks individuals profiles on myspace.com that are deceased. The site managers seem to be fairly respectful (despite their poor choice in names). The real problem stems from comments left by users such as:
"I am happy she is dead, you know why? Because she is quite stupid and therefore I am glad she killed herself and no one else, and now has no chance to kill anyone else. If someone I cared about did something so stupid and killed themselves or someone else, I would condemn them for it, just like I would expect someone to condemn me. So all you people bitching and complaining about us being so disturbing, just wait until some idiot kills someone you love, then say how sorry you are that the person who killed them is dead. **** that. If they didn't die, you would want them dead."
Insensitive to say the least. The site managers say they're trying to delete comments such as this but they either need to accelerate their efforts or take the site down all together.
What I find interesting is how adaptable social networking sites are turning out to be. No one really expected them to be used in the ways that they're starting to be used. Overall I think this is great. I can't really think of a healthier and more productive way to use technologies like this than to bring people together in a time of grief and allow them to provide one another with emotional support. One site that I initially thought would turn my stomach (it's all pretty morbid) is Mydeathspace.com which actually tracks individuals profiles on myspace.com that are deceased. The site managers seem to be fairly respectful (despite their poor choice in names). The real problem stems from comments left by users such as:
"I am happy she is dead, you know why? Because she is quite stupid and therefore I am glad she killed herself and no one else, and now has no chance to kill anyone else. If someone I cared about did something so stupid and killed themselves or someone else, I would condemn them for it, just like I would expect someone to condemn me. So all you people bitching and complaining about us being so disturbing, just wait until some idiot kills someone you love, then say how sorry you are that the person who killed them is dead. **** that. If they didn't die, you would want them dead."
Insensitive to say the least. The site managers say they're trying to delete comments such as this but they either need to accelerate their efforts or take the site down all together.
