Announcing a Death on Social Media

We have seen a lot of changes over the years, and one of the most striking, is how we communicate with our friends and loved ones online through social media.

This isn’t merely reserved for holiday photos and happy events, increasing numbers of people are using social media to announce the death of a loved one.

Do you think this is a good way to let people know? Does it save a lot of phone calls at what is an incredibly difficult time?
Would you feel comfortable expressing sympathy online, or are traditional methods more appropriate.

The Co-op Group have recently conducted a national survey of 2,000 adults to explore people’s feelings around online announcements and sympathy cards.

You can see the full results here. https://www.co-operativefuneralcare.co.uk/campaigns/death-in-the-digital-age/

The findings may surprise you.

Using social media to break the news of a death of a loved one has become commonplace. Around 13% of people have posted online to update others about the death of someone, whilst a quarter of people say they wouldn’t have known someone had died if it hadn’t been shared on social media.

We also found out that about a fifth of people would like to find out via social media if someone has passed away. And almost a quarter of young people under 24 have actually posted online about a friend’s death.

Most people felt it was the quickest way to let everyone know.

We would love to know what you think in our region.

Would you post a message of sympathy on social media, and would you be comfortable finding out about a friend or colleague’s death online.

Get in touch on Facebook or Twitter to share your views.