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What’s Up with Death Notifications Using Facebook or Text?

What’s Up with Death Notifications Using Facebook or Text?

When did it become standard for family members to text or Facebook the news of a death in the family?
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The Call

 

I think it is beyond bad form that my mom received a simple text message when my sister died of lung cancer.

“Kathleen died.”

Yesterday, amid my Facebook posts was a message asking me to see if my mother received news that her brother died.

Of course I called this person out on it.  The among the replies that followed was this message…

“S–t happens then you die.” 

and

 if you have her number you can call her ! I don’t…”

Call me old fashioned but I think this is just wrong.  No matter how dysfunctional a family might be, no one deserves a bereavement message in e-format or text message.

If I knew Miss Manners I’d ask her to weigh in.  Maybe, I’ll look her up.

Okay, I did look her up.  Click on her name above if you are curious…


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3 responses to “What’s Up with Death Notifications Using Facebook or Text?”

  1. fionamcgier Avatar

    I don’t care how much a death in the family throws you for a loop. You need to call relatives! Or ask someone else to make the call for you. It’s crude and disrespectful to do it by technology. Our emotions aren’t tech-savvy. They’re human and get hurt very easily.

  2. Jennifer Avatar
    Jennifer

    It’s horrid. There is not only laziness but blatant disregard for the other people who loved that person. Dysfunction is no reason to be callous.
    The only way this is acceptable (to me) is when family ties were completely severed beforehand.

    1. Sally Avatar

      Thank you Jennifer. I needed most of all for someone to agree that this is not right. I was falling into the ‘is it me?’ Syndrome.