RIP Baroness Thatcher – collective memory loss in social media

Social media are often associated with young, hip people with an eye on what’s hot. But there are many examples of the contrary. The latest example is from when Harry Styles, a member of the boyband One Direction, tweeted: "RIP Baroness Thatcher" after Margaret Thatcher's death. Many of his 12 million young followers had no idea who Thatcher was. Last year, there was a similar incident in connection with the 100th anniversary of Titanic's sinking. In social media, many expressed surprise that the vessel actually had existed. The conclusion? Young people may know technology but not always history.