Speaking Ill of the Dead: Anonymity and Communication About Suicide on MyDeathSpace.com

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.

Keywords:

• Anonymity
• Computer-Mediated Communication
• Death
• Grief
• Suicide

Notes

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Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lynnette G. Leonard

Lynnette G. Leonard and Paige Toller are Assistant Professors in the School of Communication at University of Nebraska at Omaha.