Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2012
Publication Title
Communication Studies
Volume
63
Issue
4
First Page
387
Last Page
404
Abstract
From birth to death, many individuals chronicle their lives online through blogs, pictures, games, Web sites, and social networks. Online spaces, created by the living about the dead, provide a glimpse into often invisible or silent grieving practices. To investigate the role computer-mediated communication (CMC) plays in influencing communication surrounding the often private and taboo topic of suicide, we analyzed the comments sections of MyDeathSpace.com. Our results suggest both a breaking down of social taboos (speaking ill of the dead) and a reaffirming of strict social norms (enforcing a narrow range of acceptable presentation of identity and purpose in life), highlighting how anonymity as a characteristic of CMC can influence our online communication about death.
Recommended Citation
Leonard, Lynette G. and Toller, Paige W., "Speaking Ill of the Dead: Anonymity and Communication About Suicide on MyDeathSpace.com" (2012). Communication Faculty Publications. 73.
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/commfacpub/73
Comments
This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in Leonard, L. G., & Toller, P. (2012). Speaking Ill of the Dead: Anonymity and Communication About Suicide on MyDeathSpace.com. Communication Studies, 63, 4, 387-404. © 2012 Taylor & Francis, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10510974.2011.629274#.