The central message by Elizabeth Stone in her article “Grief in the Age of Facebook” is that Facebook provides us with a virtual location where the family members, friends, and acquaintances of the deceased can mourn as well as share their respective pleasant memories. Stone argues Facebook doesn’t only help us protect our memories but also get to know the deceased person even better. Rarely does an individual reveal all his/her sides to the single person and it is only through collective observation that a more complete picture of the deceased individual emerges.
Stone makes a persuasive argument as the author reveals she didn’t know many things about her deceased student such as her personal slangs and love for animals until Casey’s friends revealed it on Casey’s memorialized profile. While the author’s argument may appeal to those who believe in keeping memories alive, a counter argument may be presented by those who agree with Freud in detaching one from the dead ones. Memories may be pleasant but they also make it difficult to let go of the grief attached to the loss of the person. There is a saying that time heals pain but Facebook may make it difficult because the memorialized profile is a regular reminder of the loss of a loved one.
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"Grief in the Age of Facebook Analysis".
The central argument by Libby Copeland in her article “Is Facebook Making Us Sad” is that Facebook negatively affects our psychological wellbeing because first of all, it reminds us of things we don’t have or get to experience and secondly, humans have a tendency to underestimate others’ problems and overestimate others’ happiness and blessings. The author points out it is also due to the fact that we tend to share positive news and experiences more on Facebook as opposed to unpleasant ones which results in a distorted view of our actual lives.
The author quotes students who claim Facebook profiles are brushed up to present one in the best possible light. In addition to direct quotations, Copeland also cites studies that have proven Facebook makes us sad such as infertile women feeling depressed by posts of pregnant friends and acquaintances which lend credibility to the central premise of the article.
