Web Activities 3

15.3 Net Connections: The Rise in the Use of Electronic Communication in Death, Dying, and Bereavement

Attitudes toward violent death and reactions to the events of September 11, 2001, in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania are presented in many Internet postings. Survivors used the Internet to notify relatives, and lists of survivors were posted on websites. The range of Internet connections is an example of the use of electronic communication in a recent event that touched many lives.

Joshua Brown, executive director of the American Social History Project at the City University of New York Graduate Center, produces a website in conjunction with the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University that collects material related to September 11, including email messages, photographs, personal recollections, entries from online "weblog" journals, and more. Unlike the Internet Archive's massive automated database, this project depends on submissions and selections. Access the September 11 Digital Archive and browse the collection. Compare the materials with that of the digitally collected archive of websites devoted to the events of September 11. As you browse the collection, notice the range of websites presented.

Among the most personal tributes to many who lost their lives in New York City were those done by New York Times reporters who began a series called Portraits of Grief. As you explore the tributes to those who perished, notice the range of attitudes toward death, loss, and grief.


1			After reviewing these sites, provide an overview of the content you found interesting.




2			Describe your reaction to the use of the Internet for electronic connections in the area of death, dying, and bereavement.

Your Results:

E-mail Your Results