Tweeting Social Support Messages After a Non-Celebrity's Death: The Case of the Philippines' #Fallen44

Abstract

Nowadays, social networking sites have provided an accessible means to convey social support to grievers who mourn for the dead. To explore how Twitter is used to convey social support after a non-celebrity's death, this study conducted a content analysis of 1,557 Twitter posts bearing the hashtag #Fallen44--a reference to the death of 44 elite Philippine policemen during a terrorist manhunt. Using a hybrid coding approach, the findings show that Twitter users conveyed social support by sending informational (56.28%) and emotional (39.76%) support messages. Informational support was mostly expressed by posting or sharing pictures and news articles relevant to the Fallen44, while emotional support was mostly conveyed by paying tribute, showing sympathy, and offering prayers for them. Moreover, a small proportion (3.96%) of tweets did not convey social support but reflected humor or anger or were spam messages. This study is one of the first to provide empirical support for the use of Twitter to convey social support after a non-celebrity's death in an Asian setting. Practical and theoretical implications for online social support are discussed.

Lafayette Strong: A Content Analysis of Grief and Support Online Following a Theater Shooting

“…The messages accompanying the posts include support (solidarity, condolence, and prayers), explicit acknowledgements of community participation, or expression of emotion (sadness, disbelief, love, or gratitude). These findings fit with previous literature (Bautista & Lin, 2015; Klastrup, 2015; Malik & Coulson, 2010). Individuals were able to express their thoughts and emotions regarding the shooting, and many seemed to engage in “collective remembering” online (Giaxoglou, 2015; Harju, 2015).…”

“…Online social support can take the form of encouragement and validation. Both emotional and informational support appear to be common (Bautista & Lin, 2015; Malik & Coulson, 2010; Myrick, Holton, Himelboim, & Love, 2016). These online venues can provide a sanctuary for those who may be experiencing grief that is viewed as nonnormative in their offline relationships (Gil-Egui et al., 2017; Paulus & Varga, 2015; Varga & Paulas, 2014).…”

“…Bereavement practices are no longer restricted to the traditional rituals of the funeral and the wake. Many look to the Internet as a place to express their grief after a death or to express support for those who are mourning (Bautista & Lin, 2015; Irwin, 2015; Kern, Forman, & Gil-Egui, 2013). The ubiquity of Internet usage and smart phones coupled with modern bereavement practices provide an opportunity to reconsider traditional interactionist theories.…”

Nurses' use of mobile instant messaging applications: A uses and gratifications perspective

“…This suggests that the absence of the superiors within the group chat ensures a relatively safe online environment for opinion expression. Consequently, using MIM applications for catharsis can serve as an opportunity to receive social support from concerned colleagues (Antheunis, Tates, & Nieboer, ; Bautista & Lin, ), which in turn can help nurses positively cope with their situation.…”

Analysis of the Filipinos’ Interest in Searching Online for Oral Cancer

“…In the digital age, most of the people, including Filipinos, surf on the Internet to gain information regarding prevention and treatment of diseases. Facebook (Abreo et al, 2019), Twitter (Bautista and Lin, 2015), and Google (Ho et al, 2018) are usually mined for data as an inexpensive tool in analyzing trends in the health-seeking behavior of Internet users. Considering Philippines, the data from the DOH-RCR and PCSI-MCR are limited to the main island of Luzon and not representative of the whole Philippine population.…”