Social Support "Internetworks," Caskets for Sale, and More: Thanatology and the Information Superhighway

A unique indicator of change in our culture's openness to and interest in death, dying, and bereavement is the availability of "thanatechnology": technological mechanisms such as interactive videodiscs and computer programs that are used to access information or aid in learning about thanatology topics. This article describes resources available through society's latest and most widely accessible type of thanatechnology, the Internet and World Wide Web. The conceptual framework of mediated interpersonal communication is used to illustrate sites available as resources for social support. Additional categories of thanatology sites, including narrative, commemorative, expressive, and experiential sites, are defined. Implications for the use of these resources in clinical practice, death education, and research are considered.