How Not To Mourn A Deadly Terrorist Attack On Social Media
A quick PSA before you go digging for your vacation pics.
As every morning seems to be bringing us a fresh hell, I thought I would offer a quick clarification around how to not to react to a bloody, untimely slaughter of our fellow humans, especially on social media which unfortunately, everyone can see.
Don’t mourn like this.
Because sharing this sunny picture of yourself to illustrate your grief is a tacky, opportunistic and actually really fucking infuriating thing to see on my newsfeed this morning.
Don’t mourn like this.
Because I bet you *can* believe you were just there a few months ago, thanks to these pictures you’ve helpfully shared.
Don’t mourn like this.
Because your grinning selfie at the Eiffel Tower is in no way linked to the gut-wrenching, devastating event that occurred there at a later date when you were no longer there.
Don’t mourn like this.
Because this juxtaposition suggests that you inexplicably think this bloody attack has something in common with a separate trip you took to Brussels, from which you returned to your home safe and alive.
Also that’s not what “ironic” means.
Don’t mourn like this.
Because first, you learn three things about Eva Longoria that you were not wondering about Eva Longoria:
- Eva Longoria’s favorite country is France
- Eva Longoria was just in Nice a month ago
- Eva Longoria doesn’t have a grasp of basic French grammar
Then you learn that tragically, Eva Longoria is also very sad about last night’s terrorist attack.
Don’t mourn in a bikini.
Because Alton Sterling’s death is not about you, Mischa Barton on a yacht.
If no one takes a picture of you mourning, did it actually happen?
Believe it or not, yes!
So no need to instruct your friends to take a picture of you dropping flowers at the site of a deadly suicide operation.
We will all believe that you believe this horrific attack outside Sultanahmet in Istanbul was tragic, even if you don’t circulate an image of your smiling mug at the original location of the massacre du jour.
These pictures don’t convey empathy — they just tell us you’re very good at thinking about yourself.
Because again, each of these events that you were not involved in, is not actually about you.
It’s about other people who actually DID die, who left behind their friends and families and loved ones as their lives were cut tragically short. It’s about the people around them who are now left to pick up the pieces, with no recourse, no closure, wishing for the rest of their lives that they could turn back time and NOT be at the location that you can’t stop posting about.
If you really want to mourn: light a candle, contribute to their funeral costs or children’s college fund, pray at your church/mosque/temple/synagogue, plan a care package.
And then shut the fuck up.
It’s way more simple and way more gratifying than Photoshopping a tacky image like this and sharing it on Twitter before the bodies of these innocent souls have even had a chance to go cold.
Mourn however you want, except in this specific way. Don’t mourn for you.
It’s not hard to not be an asshat on social media. Quietly make a generous donation to Doctors without Borders and then log off your social media and go hug your loved ones. Life is short.
