The Impact of Boston Marathon Bombings on Social Media and Tragedy Processing.

The Boston Marathon bombings in 2013 changed the way Americans process, organize, and mourn in the face of tragedy. Twitter solidified its status as the new public square, with 27.8 million tweets sent about the bombings that week. The bombings also showed how legacy media tried (and sometimes failed) to meet new levels of speed. "Boston Strong" became a rallying phrase and cultural mainstay, the fastest way to show solidarity in the face of trauma. The charity associated with the original "Boston Strong" T-shirt sales disbursed $61 million dollars in donations to survivors and victims' families.