When you use social media, what do you look for? Happiness, relatability, or something else?

In the midst of her dad's illness and becoming a young caretaker, Lea Zikmund began looking to social media to find community. In the process, she began to notice a dynamic in our culture that tends to criticize those who share, publicly, moments of grief, loss and hardship. She also noticed there are still many people who want to use social media as a space to connect on these exact topics.

For Crying Out Loud: Connecting through Grief and Loss in a Digital Era takes a close look at the intersection of grief, loss, and the everyday Americans' social media use. Through interviews with friends and acquaintances, Lea attempts to understand how, if at all, their moments of sharing helped them. Are there aspects of engagement via social media that can be more beneficial than those experienced through face-to-face encounters?

For Crying Out Loud: Connecting through Grief and Loss in a Digital Era by Lea Zikmund, is an invitation to consider the benefits of social connection that can happen on social media.