Finding+Meaning+in+a+Celebrity's+Death

Cohen, Elizabeth L., and Cynthia Hoffner. "Finding meaning in a celebrity’s death: The relationship between parasocial attachment, grief, and sharing educational health information related to Robin Williams on social network sites." Computers in Human Behavior 65 (2016): 643-50. Web.

Because of their immense popularity, most celebrities tend to have a powerful effect on many of their fans, admirers, and audiences. More specifically, health-related matters regarding celebrities tend to be among the most widely discussed of celebrity affairs. In the article, Finding meaning in a celebrity’s death: The relationship between parasocial attachment, grief, and sharing educational health information related to Robin Williams on social network sites, authors Elizabeth Cohen and Cynthia Hoffner worked collaboratively to describe the various positive effects that stem from the promotion of celebrity heath events on social networks. In addition to that, they also conducted a study examining the grief and parasocial attachment of consumers following the death of Robin Williams, a popular comedic figure in the acting industry. By defining the relationship between celebrity health and social media with attachment and grief, Cohen and Hoffner’s article revealed that an audience’s acceptance of celebrity health-related deaths may be based solely on the intensity of their personal grievance and dependence on social media.

This academic article will be beneficial to my research because it highlights the meaning of the death of celebrities to their fans and admirers. As I read this article, I was drawn to the ways in which the authors used studies to support their theories. Because they did use studies to support their claims about health-related deaths and social media, this article provides my research with the credibility that it needs. Also, the references made to the death of Robin Williams will support my research regarding the relationship between Americans and the death of celebrities. With the combination of various studies, references to a popular celebrity death, and the discussion of social media’s role in the grievance of celebrity death, this article makes for a superb reference for further research. Finding Meaning