The Worldwide Grieving Process: 3 Ways Social Media Can Help You Cope

When a loved one passes away, their physical presence is gone but the memories stay. In the recent past, jogging memories was dependent on photographs, get-togethers, and visiting cemeteries. This could make the grieving process more difficult, especially for those who lived far away from friends or family members or those who suffered from especially traumatic losses. The advent of social media has been beneficial to the grieving process, sharing memories can now be done across entire states and at any time of day. If you're grieving from the sudden loss of a family member, consider the following three social media advantages. 

Memorialize an Account

So many of life's important moments are now shared on social media. From wedding photos to promotion announcements, you now experience your loved ones' lives in a totally new way. When a person passes away, those important moments don't need to fall into the abyss of social media server space, nor should the accounts be deleted because the person is no longer there to maintain it. 

Instead, you can now contact social media sites to memorialize accounts of deceased individuals. This allows the person's social media interactions to be saved, allowing you and your loved ones to recall memories and relive some of your happiest moments online.

Another benefit of memorializing a social media page is that friends and family members can continue to leave messages for the deceased on birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates. This has a similar emotional effect as visiting a grave but doesn't require traveling long distances to do so. 

Raise Awareness for Your Loved One's Cause

When a loved one passes away unexpectedly — especially when if it's a wrongful death due to the negligence of a business or other entity — you'll likely be moved to raise awareness about the death. Social media is a great way to raise awareness to help prevent others from suffering the same fate. There are multiple ways to do this, all of which can reach out to other social groups beyond your close family and friends. 

  • Create a Group Page: Group pages allow you to invite and reach out to individuals who are interested in your cause. This will allow you to tell the story of your loved one's wrongful passing, hear similar stories from others who went through the same thing, and even organize class action lawsuits against companies responsible for multiple deaths or injuries. 
  • Create a Hashtag: The limit of a group page is it's only accessible on the site where you made it. A hashtag will allow you spread your message and raise awareness over multiple social media sites and accounts. This will also allow others to participate and show their respect as you move through the grieving and potential legal process. 
  • Create a Blog: Whether you're involved in a wrongful death suit or simply want others to be aware of the dangers of a product or situation, a blog can help you reach a wide audience and be shared on other forms of social media. Many blogging sites offer rings of similarly themed blogs, making it easier for you to spread your message in honor of your loved one. 

Fund Your Loved One's Legacy

One of the major benefits of social media is that you can reach millions of people in a very short amount of time, receiving messages of love and support from people across the world. In the last few years, social media sites have popped up allowing others to help send financial contributions to those in need. 

You can create one of these accounts for a variety of reasons, all of which will honor your loved one's memory: 

  • Fund a legal fight against a doctor, company, or entity responsible for the loved one's passing 
  • Pay for a private autopsy to learn more about the cause of the individual's sudden death
  • Aid in research for a specific illness or other cause of death

The powers of social media are seemingly endless. It can even help with the grieving process in new and innovative ways. No longer do you have to feel alone in your grieving process, as social media allows you to interact with friends, family members, and even strangers who are going through the same emotions as you. You can use social media to memorialize your loved one, raise awareness for a cause, or even fund the aftermath of a person's death. Look at this for more ideas.


Share