"COVID-19, I Hate You!": Framing Death and Dying in COVID-19 Online Memorials.
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| Title: | "COVID-19, I Hate You!": Framing Death and Dying in COVID-19 Online Memorials. |
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| Authors: | Myers, Faith1, Donley, Sarah2 sdonley@jsu.edu |
| Source: | Omega: Journal of Death & Dying. Nov2024, Vol. 90 Issue 1, p440-458. 19p. |
| Subject Terms: | *World Wide Web, *Social media, *Content analysis, *Grief, *COVID-19 pandemic, Attitudes toward death, Statistical sampling, Thematic analysis, Bereavement, COVID-19, Social distancing |
| Geographic Terms: | United States |
| Abstract: | The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the way Americans deal with death and dying. Social distancing restrictions prevented or delayed end of life services for families who lost loved ones to COVID-19. Alternatively, some took to the internet to express their grief through online memorialization. Using content analysis, this study analyzes 200 randomly selected online memorials from the COVID Memorial website, a website created to share the stories of those lost to COVID-19 on social media. Our findings offer insight into memorial author demographics, how memorial authors framed and understood death due to COVID-19, and the COVID-19 pandemic through online memorialization. Two major themes emerged during data analysis, "references to COVID-19 death" and "COVID-specific directives to readers." The former, details how memorial authors framed and understood the death of a loved one to COVID-19. The latter details "advice" or "directives" authors gave to readers about social distancing guidelines and other guidelines meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Omega: Journal of Death & Dying is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Abstract: | The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the way Americans deal with death and dying. Social distancing restrictions prevented or delayed end of life services for families who lost loved ones to COVID-19. Alternatively, some took to the internet to express their grief through online memorialization. Using content analysis, this study analyzes 200 randomly selected online memorials from the COVID Memorial website, a website created to share the stories of those lost to COVID-19 on social media. Our findings offer insight into memorial author demographics, how memorial authors framed and understood death due to COVID-19, and the COVID-19 pandemic through online memorialization. Two major themes emerged during data analysis, "references to COVID-19 death" and "COVID-specific directives to readers." The former, details how memorial authors framed and understood the death of a loved one to COVID-19. The latter details "advice" or "directives" authors gave to readers about social distancing guidelines and other guidelines meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00302228 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/00302228221107978 |
