Announcing the passing of a loved one on Social Media

Things to look out for before posting about a death on social mediaWe all know how convenient social media is these days but are also aware of the perils on social media. In this age of heightened sensitivities and keyboard warriors who hide behind the screens and make malicious comments, we should all the more exercise caution when we upload stuff onto social media, and even more so for death-related matters which involve high sensitivities.

Social media has become a powerful tool to remember someone fondly.

There can be many reasons why we would want to take to social media to announce the death of a loved one — it could be a form of mourning, a way to remember the deceased or simply to inform close friends of the passing. These days, social media has become a powerful tool to remember someone fondly, slowly replacing the traditional obituaries in newspapers. Also these days, more people have become more open to the issue of death, viewing it not entirely as an unfortunate event but rather holding on to the belief that the deceased has ascended to a better place.

Notifying closer friends and relatives first

Imagine being a close friend or relative of someone who has just passed away but only finding out about their passing quite late on and even more so, finding out through social media. Immediate emotions of shock and sadness would soon take over. Therefore, for the family of the deceased, it is of paramount importance to consider the feelings of these close kins and friends, given that they shared a more special bond with the deceased.You could start off by identifying who are the family members and close friends that you would want to inform first. If there are many, consider splitting up the informing work between a few family members. This is usually done after settling the necessary funeral arrangements eg. location and duration of the funeral. After notifying, some might want to extend their help in terms of funeral preparation. It doesn’t harm to have additional hands to help around and tide the family through this trying period.

It is important to consider the feelings of these close kins and friends, given that they shared a more special bond with the deceased.

Timing

There is never a good time to announce the passing of a loved one as death in itself is not a joyous matter. When one comes across the news of a passing, the first reaction would likely be that of shock and sadness, no matter how much the death was anticipated (eg. suffering from illnesses, etc.), death is still not an easy issue for many to grapple with. Despite this, news of the passing has to be broken somehow or the other.Do consider the timing at which you release the news to friends and loved ones, being careful not to break the news towards the end of the funeral, leaving them with little time to pay their respects. Also, some families may opt to not have a funeral ceremony, either by the wishes of the dead or from the belief that funerals are for the living, not for the dead. In this case, the family of the deceased might want to inform about the send-off date for cremation, so that those that want to come and pay their final respects are given the opportunity to do so.

No matter how much the death was anticipated, death is still not an easy issue for many to grapple with.

Choice of social media platform

It is important to consider which social media platform the deceased’s friends use the most. If the deceased is of the older generation, using Instagram which has a greater proportion of youths using it might not be a good option as literally no one who you want to inform might know about it. Facebook and Twitter are also good channels to inform about the passing of a loved one, with Facebook being the more formal channel of dissemination in my opinion.If the deceased typically does not use social media, this channel is still a good platform to let as many people know in a short period of time, leaving you with more time to focus on the other funeral preparations.

It is important to consider which social media platform the deceased’s friends use the most.

Purpose and angle of social media post

The most important thing before you actually post, is to take some time and sit down to think of what you are going to be posting about. Would this post take an emotional slant where you reflect on the greats of that person or would it be more of an informational post where you inform about the details of the funeral arrangements?Some are more comfortable than the others in penning down their feelings for others to see on social media as they see it as remembering the other person in a good way, hoping others too would remember the deceased in a similar light.

Take some time and sit down to think of what you are going to be posting about.

Life after death

At the end of the day, coping and dealing with the passing of a loved one takes time to heal and even with time, the wound might not be healed completely. The outpour of support on social media at times can be a form of solace and comfort that many use as a tool to remember the deceased in a certain way. The possibilities of social media when used in an appropriate way is endless and could actually help relieve some pressure in having to inform everyone individually, leaving the family of the deceased with more emotional and physical capacity to deal with other funeral matters.