“Names etched on the head of a pin.
One name spanning a bridge, another undergoing a tunnel. A blue name needled into the skin. Names of citizens, workers, mothers and fathers, The bright-eyed daughter, the quick son. Alphabet of names in a green field. Names in the small tracks of birds. Names lifted from a hat Or balanced on the tip of the tongue. Names wheeled into the dim warehouse of memory. So many names, there is barely room on the walls of the heart.” -Excerpt from “The Names” by poet Billy Collins |
On September 11th, 2001...
America lost 2,993 innocent lives: a collection of 2,993 names of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, friends, and first responders. The family members and friends of these 2,993 individuals, another list of thousands of names, learned the goodbyes they had last told their loved ones had truly been their last. Individuals shockingly watched the towers collapse from the comfort of their homes, witnesses helplessly stood in the streets of Manhattan, and young children confusedly left school early with their frightened parents; another compilation of names. On September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks touched the lives of millions of Americans, and presently, the morning’s memory continues to haunt society in innumerable ways, as families grieve, spectators (not directly affected like family and friends) try to understand the role they play, the upcoming generations gradually learn the significance of this morning, and collectively, the nation works to never forget all of these names of 9/11. Thus, in an effort to remember and preserve the memory of the attacks, various forms of memorializing have developed across the country since 2001: tattoos, shrines, murals, plaques, ceremonies, and more. Which names to represent though and how to blend the many individual names into a cohesive and collective but memorable narrative has been a challenge as referenced in “The Names” above: “So many names, there is barely room on the walls of heart” (Collins). However, over the last few years, a new form of memorializing has begun to revolutionize the practice: social media. In a period where the Internet has slowly consumed society and many industries have successfully migrated to online locations (travel agencies, restaurants, businesses, magazines, etc.), it is no wonder why memorialization techniques did the same. In the context of 9/11, sites like Twitter and Instagram have been able to address the conflict of deciding how to incorporate the individual memories into effective, representative memorials most specifically through the hashtag (#). The many hashtags associated with September 11th, 2001, including "#NeverForget911", "#September11", and "#TwinTowers", have evolved into unconventional, but effective sites of memory in this digital age, as they have not only had the ability to handle the issue of representation many other forms of memorials have attempted to overcome, but hashtags have also created an entirely new platform for the family and friends of victims, the American public, and the young generations to convey their personal memory of the attacks, and additionally connect with and access other’s individual accounts.