Technology is transforming our relationship with dying and grief. Michelle Desmond is a successful corporate business leader turned thanatologist (expert in death and all types of bereavement) who has experienced a lifetime of close personal losses.

Michelle has a passion for the impact tech has (and will have) on these essential human experiences. Through engaging conversations on a range of topics, as well as science-backed analysis, she uncovers the stories, ideas, and innovations changing the way we approach grief and death. 

In this episode, Michelle speaks with Laura Zale about her brother Dan – his life, his cancer, his death, and what happened online through it all. The conversation is followed by analysis of how technology plays a role in grief, including what happens before and after death, and touches on the societal expectations and impacts on how we choose to engage online about these difficult topics.

To learn more about Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma, visit https://fibrofoundation.org

 

References: 

Moyer, L. M., & Enck, S. (2020). Is my grief too public for you? The digitalization of grief on FacebookTM. Death Studies, 44(2), 89–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2018.1522388

       Rossetto, K. R., Lannutti, P. J., & Strauman, E. C. (2015). Death on Facebook: Examining the roles of social media communication for the bereaved. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 32(7), 974–994. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407514555272.   

       Stroebe, M & Schut, H. (1999). The dual process model of coping with bereavement: Rationale and description. Death Studies, 23(3), 197–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/074811899201046