ABSTRACT
According to A. L. Williams and M. J. Merten, the most interesting finding from their study of online social networking among teens involved the posting of comments directly to the deceased. Participation on social networking sites and social media appears to serve a variety of purposes for teens in the process of coping with loss, some of which appear to be dependent upon the relationship that the social media user had with the deceased. Research documenting the level of participation in survivor advocacy and social action by adolescents through the use of social media and the impact of doing so on the process of coping should be conducted. Almost immediately after the death of a young adult, content on existing social networking sites containing expressions of grief and the preservation of the deceased teenager's digital legacy will begin.
