In today’s world, grief often plays out online. Social media posts, shared photos, or reminders of anniversaries can trigger strong emotions, both comforting and painful. Teens and young adults may turn to online spaces for connection, but not all digital experiences are supportive. Some may encounter harmful content, comparisons, or communities that minimise grief or encourage unhealthy coping like self-harm, risk-taking, or avoidance.

Adults can guide young people in navigating digital spaces safely:

• Encourage reflection: Ask how online activity affects them emotionally. “How does scrolling through this feed make you feel?”

• Promote healthy spaces: Highlight supportive apps or platforms. For example: Apart of Me - an interactive grief game; TellMi app - a safe space to share feelings anonymously.

• Podcasts or online communities that normalise grief and provide guidance

• Set boundaries together: Help them create limits on time spent online or exposure to triggering content. This is not censorship, it’s safety.

• Use technology creatively: Encourage ways to honour memories online, like creating playlists, digital memory boards, or writing blogs or letters to the deceased, instead of solely consuming content.

The key is to help young people seek connection, not comparison, and find digital resources that validate grief while discouraging harmful coping. Adults can check in without judgment and suggest alternatives when online spaces feel overwhelming or isolating.