Digital Mourning and the Evolution of Grief: A Review of Social Media's Role in Shaping Contemporary Bereavement Practices

In the digital era, mourning has transcended traditional boundaries, increasingly manifesting through social media platforms that provide novel avenues for expressing grief and maintaining bonds with the deceased. This review explores the evolving landscape of bereavement practices in the context of digital mourning, analyzing how platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are reshaping contemporary understandings of death and loss. Drawing upon interdisciplinary literature from sociology, psychology, media studies, and thanatology, the article examines key themes including online memorialization, continuing bonds, collective grieving, and ethical concerns surrounding digital legacies. It further considers how digital platforms influence the grieving process, both positively—by fostering support networks and ritualization—and negatively—through issues of privacy, commercialization, and prolonged mourning. By synthesizing existing research, this review highlights the need for updated frameworks that account for the psychosocial and cultural implications of grieving in an increasingly connected world. The article concludes by identifying gaps in current scholarship and suggesting future research directions to deepen our understanding of grief in the digital age.