THE CONVERSATION: Digital commemoration: a new way to remember victims of terrorism

Description

Social media platforms have become integral to how we commemorate, grieve and make sense of terrorism. They are a vehicle for increasingly familiar digital rituals, such as hashtags, memes and emojis. They can also generate novel, creative types of commemoration that give rise to new forms of togetherness and remembrance.

A permanent memorial to the victims of the Manchester bombing – which happened one year ago – is being planned in the city. In the meantime, our research suggests that responses to terrorist attacks such as that in Manchester include new forms of commemoration. These mix offline and online settings, taking place simultaneously in city spaces and on social media.