The fetishisation of grief on Facebook

There was once a time when we could grieve personally in quiet contemplation, now it seems the era of social media has forced us to adopt a fetishisation of grief, where everyone must out do one another to show how much grief they are in and how much they support France. It was an awful tragedy, but let's put things in perspective. The 20th century was one of the most violent and deadly century ever, yet our grand parents got through it it all with dignity and humanity in tact so they could pass on their genes to us. They dealt with larger immigration issues and 2 horrendous world wars. Yet what I'm seeing on Facebook, is like a competition of grief, no longer a private issue, but one to be shared with everyone they have ever met. I just find it all a bit pathetic really. I just find it all a bit weird. My thoughts go out to the families, but I can't bring myself to mourn for a whole nation in such fashion. If we want to defeat Isis, having a tricolour parsed over your face isn't going to solve the issue. Not while your still voting in governments who cosy up to Saudi Arabia. The biggest exporters of terrorism and extremist Islam ideologies. We even have our royal family entertain these criminals for tea and continue to sign lucrative defence contracts with some of the most hardline countries in the region who crush dissent at a whim and we will continue to do so. They will continue to fund madrases schools in the uk and around Europe, but people will still vote for these spineless governments and hand over more powers to the surveillance state. In the name of fear of terrorism.

a reply to: woodwardjnr


Armchair Activism is all the rage.

Well said.
It's trendy right now so we have to keep up.
The age of attention seekers and self promoting competition.

ETA: ...and political correctness!

a reply to: woodwardjnr

Facebook is just terrible for anything, unless you want to promote an awesome punk rock show that 100 people check the "attend" button and 5 show up. Just terrible.

a reply to: woodwardjnr

Two UK turning points: Princess Diana and Jade Goody.

When Diana died people were wailing and agonising over someone whom they'd never even met and wouldn't give a flying F about them anyway. That was a change in culture. By the time Jade died, people could grieve the sh!t out of her all across Myspace, BEBO, FB and comments sections.

It's been that way ever since...and worsening.

"Look! Look at me! I'm MORE upset than anyone! I'm BETTER than all of you with my public compassion!!"

Your second point about friendships with cultural enemies is increasingly pointless. We don't vote and our leaders keep the company of dictators and human rights abusers. We do vote and our leaders keep the company of dictators and human rights abusers.

There's a pattern in there somewhere...[/grim lol and cynical eyebrow raised]

a reply to: Kandinskygood points. The Diana thing was the watershed of this type of public grieving.

a reply to: woodwardjnr

There is a way to stop feeds from friends and still be friends...

There's an arrow in the top right corner



I wouldn't have any FB friends if I had to listen to everyone

a reply to: woodwardjnr

The media were promoting it all as a 'nation under grief' and I was sulking because a TV show was cancelled and spoiled my Sunday routine.

Trying to remember what. Dark Skies? Fist of Fun? I was seriously pissed off lol

Back on topic. I worry that our world is driven by the lesser qualities of humanity. It seems that people unite more readily for hate than for peace. Like you say, we're collectively horrified by the actions of extremists and not fussed that we are business partners with regimes that treat their populations so poorly.

I totally agree. It is almost like some sort of emotional psy-op, right down to all the major buildings instantly being lit in red white and blue around the world. Did all these countries just happen to have the red white and blue gels for the floodlights to hand and ready to go within hours of the event? When did the semi transparent overly button become available on Facebook? This would have taken time to incorporate in the system and to push out as an idea, yet, even though it was only just hours after the story broke and on a weekend day, someone had come up with the idea, made the graphic, added the coding to the Facebook website and in less than 24 hours millions of people are out pouring with it on Facebook. Anyone else suspicious of the super neat co-ordination and drumming up of emotion on this one? Where is the world wide grief for the million dead kids in the Middle East or the badly maimed ones who are now orphans and living in a demolished hell hole because of our governments and their arms industry?

My concern is when people act with their hearts rather than their heads, that is the time they get duped, and give governments support to do something they would object/be up in arms against, e.g. invading /putting boots on the ground in say Syria. We saw this on 9/11 and even though there were less killed than even the Russian plane that was taken out (which did not have this swayed out pouring on Facebook or change of building colour world wide - with professionally taken photos uploaded of said buildings, uploaded and distributed within hours on a weekend) mainstream media are actively dubbing it France's or Europe's 9/11, and look what was allowed to happen after that event.

Am I synical? You bet I am!

a reply to: woodwardjnr

it's not about the Governments... it's about the people.. we are supporting and showing respect for the innocent live's lost in Paris... we are doing this because we are Europeans... this war and their ways were in the ME & Africa but it has been bought to the EU... this is what we are showing our support for France for...

We havn't seen these acts in Europe before... I mean each Country has had there fair share of Hostility over the years but nothing has compared to what is happening today! (Since WW2)

You are pretty cold hearted to post this Thread IMo.

It's all about the likes brother, it's all about the likes.

a reply to: CthulhuMythos

It doesn't take long to get the flag up on facebook... about 10 seconds could do it.

Where is the grief for the ME? Been ongoing in the ME for hundreds of years... its a common thing. happening in the EU is something new. That's why we are supporting France!

Who are you with? The Terrorists or the people?

Nvrmnd

Nvrmnd

a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist

I see.
So we haven't experienced terrorism in mainland EU & the UK before IS et al?
Really?
Maybe you are a young person & didn't live through the IRA & Baader Meinhof amongst others.
We have been here before but we didn't have the internet back then.

a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist

It would not take only seconds, from idea to graphic to implementation, would not take seconds.

War may have been going on in ME for hundreds of years but all the really devastating action since 2001 have been our governments doing, don't forget that.

As for this being the first time this has happened in Europe, have you forgotten ETA? Over 3000 terror attacks, one of the worst being the Madrid bombings. What about the IRA bombing campaign in UK?, or the downing of the PanAm flight over Lockerbie or the 7/7 London Underground and bus bombing?

As for your ignorant and provocatively inflammatory final comment, I am with the people of the world, all countries, who are the ones who just want to be allowed to get on with their lives and be left alone to enjoy living with their friends and families, which is the majority of the populous of this planet. I want truth and transparency, not tyranny from governments and their corporate masters. I will not be swayed, pushed, manipulated or psy-oped into agreeing and supporting their agendas.

Eta: I just don't need to parade myself to the world showing sympathy online, I often think about the cruelty of humanity and it saddens me greatly.

originally posted by: supamoto
a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist

I see.
So we haven't experienced terrorism in mainland EU & the UK before IS et al?
Really?
Maybe you are a young person & didn't live through the IRA & Baader Meinhof amongst others.
We have been here before but we didn't have the internet back then.

I see you didn't read my post correctly at all.

a reply to: CthulhuMythos

I see you didn't read my post properly either.

a reply to: CthulhuMythos

And btw... they should have stood and fought for thei homeland.... not bring their problems to Europe!

But

Now it is here in Europe.... what do you suppose we do about that?

a reply to: CthulhuMythos

"I often think about the cruelty of humanity and it saddens me greatly."