Social media is changing how we grieve, especially following a shocking event like the Bondi terror attack. But could sharing our grief help bridge social divisions?
Grief is complex: it plays out differently for different people and in different cultures.
Some experts say digital and social media are making things even more complicated.
Professor Larissa Hjorth, from the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University, said social media often platforms sound bites — not leaving space for thoughtful conversations.
"Once we doom scroll on one horrific event, then the algorithm sends us other and it gets completely acontextualised. It lacks nuance," she said.
But she told SBS Examines grief can actually be a uniting force.
Grief and hope are actually interrelated really deeply.Professor Larissa Hjorth, RMIT
Christopher Hall is the CEO of Grief Australia, a government funded national grief and bereavement service.
He said there isn't a cultural gold standard for grieving, but suggested mainstream Australian culture could learn from multicultural communities.
"Many Western societies tend to marginalise loss," he said.
Western societies tend to privilege happiness, productivity ... the idea of letting go and moving on.Christopher Hall, Grief Australia
SBS Examines went to Bondi Beach to talk to passers-by about their grief journey, cultural aspects of grieving, and whether social media is making it harder for them to grieve.
In this episode of SBS Examines, we ask Australians how they grieve, and how grief can help bring us together through divisive events.
