Before cremations as part of the cremation services offered in Clinton Township, MI, many deaths are now announced first on social media sites like Facebook. Social media sites have become a primary away of announcing the deaths of loved ones, since so many friends and family members are connected through them.
It follows that people have now begun to use social media to express comfort, support, and encouragement for people who have lost loved ones. However, even though technology has brought a new way to offer sympathy to those who are grieving, we can still often struggle with what to say and how to say it.
There are some guidelines that should help us make sure that our condolences are thoughtful, helpful, and sincere.
First, when you see someone’s death announced on social media, avoid the temptation to respond immediately. The very mechanism of social media – instant feedback – makes this a counterintuitive response, but it’s important to take some time to absorb the announcement.
First, make sure the death announcement is being made by a credible source. The best rule of thumb is not to say anything until the family of the deceased has made an official announcement on social media (if, in fact, they do). If the family chooses not to share the news of the death of a loved one on social media, then take some time to do the research to make sure that the person has in fact died.
Once you’ve confirmed the death, contact the family member you know privately through email or text messaging and offer your condolences on their loss privately.
Another thing you should be careful not to do, unless the immediate family of the deceased has posted the announcement of their death on social media, is to announce it yourself. There may be close or extended family members who have not yet heard about the death, and it can be quite jarring to first find out about the death of a family member on social media. It can also create family issues if strangers know about the death of another family member before all the deceased’s family members have been notified.
Even if the deceased’s family has publicly announced the death of a loved one on social media, you don’t have to offer a public condolence. If you knew the deceased and the family of the deceased well, find a way to contact them privately and offer your support and comfort in a very personal way that lets them know you love them and care about them.
One of the big no-no’s is asking questions on social media about how the deceased died. That is not the place for these kinds of questions, and it can be seen as disrespectful of the family who is grieving. We all have a sort of morbid curiosity about the details of death, but it is better to let the family, if they choose, share any details about how their loved one died when they are ready to.
Someone else’s loss can trigger memories of our own losses. There may be a temptation to seek comfort for our past losses along the current loss the family of a loved who has died is experiencing. It’s important to remember that support and comfort is for the grieving family, not for us, so we can’t try to make the loss all about us.
For more information about cremation services in Clinton Township, MI, our caring and knowledgeable staff at Lee-Ellena Funeral is here to assist you. You can visit our funeral home at 46530 Romeo Plank Rd., Macomb, MI 48044, or you can call us today at (586) 412-8999.