Virtually dead

I just noticed the last post was the hundredth. And while we (our group) aren't big on anniversaries, I am just glad we didn't get to hit the 100 mark with this following musing...

A few hours ago, the story hit the internet about a mother who apparently "tweeted" about her two-year-old son's drowning-in-progress, updating her 5000 Twitter followers about the rescue procedures... and, eventually, about the little one's death.

OK, "drowning-in-progress" is a bit harsh and probably very unjust. She posted a "tweet" about her son being found in the pool, and she asked for prayers. (That actually sounds like a very good idea especially if the person in question actually believes in the power of prayer.)

Unfortunately, the rescue efforts failed: five hours later, the little boy was pronounced dead. And the mother, it seems (I wasn't one of her followers, and now her "tweets" are protected), promptly updated her followers about it, posting her son's photo.

Now, everyone is up in arms. The internet is abuzz with this sad story, journalists are filing their reports for tonight's news.

But what these media don't know is that there was another such story - how true, I don't know and so I can't tell - just two days ago. Someone posted on an astrology forum that her teenage son had just committed suicide.

Now, I am not a member of said forum and I am not familiar with the person in question; in all fairness, neither is the member of our group who informed me about this today (after the Military-Mom story broke). She doesn't know this person, none of us here do. But judging by the responses of the members on said forum, pretty much everyone there took the post seriously.

If it is true... what does it say about people? About the times? About our place in the virtual reality?

Let me tell you: I have always abhorred people who judge others' grief by their own (more or less weepy or exhibitionist) standards. I know from personal experience that everyone deals (or they should) with grief in their own manner. And I know (again, from personal experience) that the deepest grief is often wordless, tearless, apparently emotionless.
I also know that grief makes people behave in the most unpredictable ways - and doubly so if they are under some sort of medication. Also, in the case of "Military-Mom", I don't think it was particularly horrendous that she asked her followers to pray for her son. It's not what I would have done - or even thought about it - but I am not her, and she is not me.

But I must admit I do find it eerie, to put it mildly, that anyone could have the "composure" (for lack of a better term) to even think about their internet pals in such a moment. Or are they - virtual friends, images on the screen, words and LOLs and OMG - really the only ones that person can turn to?

There seems to be something profoundly wrong with these people and their perception of the world. And personally I don't think the internet is helping them as much as they probably think it is. It is a net - and they got caught in it, confusing it with "real" life.


I have to go now - something urgent came up (a good thing, don't worry ;) - but I'll be back to edit this and add further thoughts.

Meanwhile, stay well, my friends.
And keep your eyes on the real people around you.