Living in changing times can create challenges even when dealing with something as constant as death. At Dodds Memorials, one of the challenges they have encountered in planning Memorials in Middletown, OH is that family members struggle with how to respectfully incorporate social media into a deceased’s funeral or memorial planning.
Allow the Family to Make Social Media Decisions
Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that the deceased’s closest loved ones should be the ones making decisions about what to post on social media and when. Everyone has heard a story about a family member finding out about the death of a loved one from a social media post. Avoid this scenario by not posting a death on social media until the family has done so or has otherwise made the death public, for example by publishing an obituary. If you are a surviving family member, also keep in mind who should get a personal phone call with the news before posting on social media.
Use Social Media to Help Honor A Loved One
Facebook, Twitter, and most other social media sites have options that let loved ones transform a person’s account into a memorial for them by freezing the account as it was when they passed. They generally will require proof that the person has died, so this process does not occur immediately after death. However, family members often access a deceased’s social media accounts to make announcements about the death and to share funeral arrangements with that person’s friends. Many social media sites also allow people to create accounts specifically dedicated as memorials to one that has passed.
Let Respect Guide Social Media Behavior
While social media is great at bringing people together, it is no secret that people say and do things on social media that they would never do in person. As with any other behaviors surrounding funerals, respect should be the guiding factor when planning social media announcements about deaths, funerals, or Memorials in Middletown, OH. When used in this way, social media can help people come together in their grief and celebrate the life of the deceased.
