Digital mourning in tweets: Multimodal analysis of image-based grieving practices among gang-affiliated Black youth

Abstract

In the 21st century, social media has been utilized to connect youth to peers who share their experiences and provide support. Research shows how gang-affiliated youth use social media to present bravado and express feelings of grief. However, the research focusing on how gang-affiliated youth utilize photos online to memorialize the deceased and convey feelings and experiences of grief and loss is sparse. This qualitative study utilizes a methodological concept that includes theories regarding racial residential segregation and grief and a multimodal analytic technique called Critical Technocultural Discourse Analysis. The methodological concept was used to understand the digital grieving practices of gang-affiliated Black youth and how this population utilizes social media content, photos, and emojis (multimodal tweets) in their online memorialization practices. Findings illuminate how this population utilizes multimodal tweets to speak to those who have passed away.