THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN PROMOTING DARK TOURISM SITES

Nowadays, social media plays a vital role in shaping how people choose and experience travel destinations, particularly those related to past tragedies and historical suffering. Through personal observation, I have noticed how platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are turning sites connected to death and loss into places of curiosity and interest. This paper aims to explore how social media encourages dark tourism by analyzing how users react emotionally, behave online, and show curiosity about history. Drawing on works by Lennon and Foley (2000) [6] and Stone (2006) [4], as well as real-world digital trends, this research examines how storytelling on social media enhances interest in dark sites. Some globally recognized places like Chernobyl and Auschwitz are examined, and the potential of similar sites in Uzbekistan is briefly highlighted.