Industrialist Harsh Goenka has triggered a discussion on how grief is expressed in today’s digital era through likes and comments on social media. The business leader and aviation enthusiast reacted after Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal took to X to express grief over the death of his son.
Agarwal, in a social media post on Wednesday night, announced the passing of his son, Agnivesh Agarwal, who died at the age of 49 following a cardiac arrest in New York.
Responding to the grieving father’s heartfelt post, Goenka highlighted that thousands reacted with a simple “like”. He questioned whether clicking the like button has become the modern way of expressing condolences, or whether he had failed to understand the language of social media sorrow.
“A child passes away. A grieving father pours his heart out. Thousands respond with a ‘like’. Is this the way to show condolences in the modern age? Or have I simply failed to learn the language of social media sorrow?” Goenka wrote on
Anil Agarwal’s son passes away
The Vedanta Group chairman described it as the “darkest day” of his life, saying his son had been recovering well from injuries sustained in a skiing accident before an unexpected medical complication claimed his life.
Recalling his son’s life, Anil Agarwal said Agnivesh, born in Patna on June 3, 1976, grew into a respected business leader known for his compassion and values.
Sharing the family’s grief along with his wife Kiran, Agarwal said they were devastated by the loss but found some solace in the belief that the thousands of young people working across Vedanta were also like their children.
How social media users reacted:
Goenka’s post has evoked a myriad of responses, with several users echoing similar sentiments that social media has made expressions of grief appear shallow, while urging more thoughtful and human ways to show empathy online.
A user named Sunil Sanjan wrote, “It does feel heartless when a tragedy gets a ‘like’. But I think most people aren’t trying to be cruel; they just don’t know how to express grief online. Unfortunately, social media has reduced every emotion to the same button. But that is not an excuse. Better ways exist — leave a comment, offer prayers, send strength, or simply say ‘I’m with you’. A real message means more than a tap on a screen. I feel we haven’t just forgotten how to show it.”
Another user commented, “A like is the quickest way to say ‘I saw this, I acknowledge your pain’ when people don’t know what to comment or fear saying the wrong thing. It’s a digital nod, similar to attending a prayer meeting without saying a word.”
A third user added, “A like doesn’t mean people are mocking him. Facebook has a sorrow button, but
