Why do we mourn celebrities on social media?

2016 was a big year for celebrity deaths. The amount of famous people passing was seemingly bigger than normal, while the scale of public mourning online was more extensive than ever. But what drives people to mourn celebrities on social media? And has social media changed how we respond to the deaths of famous people? Rebecca Kern is a lecturer and researcher in media studies at Manhattan College in New York and has studied the phenomenon that is the collective mourning of celebrities. Reporter Sam Smith spoke to her about social media, death and celebrities.