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How do People Use Social Media to Maintain Continuing Bonds in Bereavement? A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis
Molly Price1, Edith Maria Steffen2, Karina Stengaard Kamp3
1Formerly at School of Psychology, Plymouth University, Plymouth, UK.
Omega
|November 11, 2025
Summary
Bereaved individuals use social media for continuing bonds (CB) with deceased loved ones. Digital platforms facilitate grief expression, affirming relationships and maintaining identity in the digital age.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Digital Humanities
Background:
- Continuing bonds (CB) is a common bereavement phenomenon.
- Social media offers novel ways to maintain connections with deceased individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To qualitatively meta-synthesize research on digital CB.
- To identify themes in the use of digital platforms for expressing CB.
- To understand the impact of digital platforms on grief.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of four databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science).
- Qualitative meta-synthesis of seven selected papers.
- Thematic analysis to identify key themes.
Main Results:
- Five main themes emerged: Broadcast grief, Immortalized in tech, Reachable entity, Collective grief, and Revolutionised grief.
- Digital grief expression affirms relationships and aids co-constructed identity maintenance.
- Growing interest in digital grief sharing clarified.
Conclusions:
- Digital platforms are increasingly utilized for maintaining continuing bonds.
- Understanding digital CB can inform modernized grief interventions.
- Social media plays a significant role in contemporary bereavement practices.
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