ABSTRACT
Interpersonal communication and relationships have changed dramatically with the growing influence of the Internet. The new platforms offered by the Internet have not only transformed social and professional life, but also opened up new channels of communication for those experiencing bereavement. Specifically, the Internet allows bereaved individuals to seek social support without physical interaction. In recent years, numerous Internet-based discussion forums have been established for bereaved populations (e.g., forums for bereaved parents, widowers and widows, and suicide survivors). These Internet discussion groups are usually self-help groups; many are developed and moderated by bereaved individuals. Online memorial sites on which people who have lost family members or friends grieve and mourn publicly are another expression of grief. In this often very personal form of public grieving, bereaved individuals or communities create memorial websites including photographs to describe the deceased person’s life and dying.
