The thought of someone dying is not pleasant, but death is a reality that we must accept. This week’s article looks at how technology is affecting trends in funerals. Go to the link below and read the article. Write a reflective comment that expresses your views and addresses my questions.
Are all of the technological changes that were described in the article appropriate? Are there any that you feel should not be used? Which use of technology surprised you the most? If you were planning a tribute for someone, how would you incorporate technology?
Funeral Article
12 comments:
The Funeral Industry Goes Digital:
I think that the technological changes were appropriately described in the article. I believe yes and no that the websites should be used. People may be too far away to make it to the funeral on time so I believe that it is a good way for a relative to see the funeral and be able to add their thoughts and feelings. However, people may become too lazy to go to the funeral even though they live near the deceased. People should also postpone the funeral so all the relatives could make it. I found this entire use of technology surprising. If I was to plan a tribute for someone, I would make an entire website dedicated to them. I would add their bibliography and their achievements in their lifetimes. I would also add movies that related to them.
Sasha
I feel that this type of technological advance is a horrible thing and very much offends me. The death of a person, especially a family member, should be mourned with the entire group of people who loved that person. Sensitive, personal things such as a funeral must be taken to heart and should not be treated as a game or another way technology helps the world be lazy. The computer can be fun to use for gaming, experiencing tourism or unusual things that aren't easy to find at home, but something as sensitive as a funeral should not even be considered something light and easy enough to put on the Internet. I feel that the creator of Otrib should be ashamed of his doings, taking a thing like death and making it an easy to do Internet subscription. the ONLY way i would be able to use technology to pay tribute to someone is to use a digital frame to present pictures of the deceased digitally to remember him/her. I would probably use email to notify people of the death if I wasn't able to contact them through the phone first. The most surprising thing incororated in funerals that was talked about in this article is that it is an ALTERNATIVE to attending the funeral, not an addition to the funeral to mourn the deceased and remember them.
Although the technological changes aren't very appropriate, they are convenient for people nowadays. With hectic lives and scattered establishments, people need a medium that would connect them to any part of the world as fast as possible. The internet could act as that medium but it shouldn't be the substitute of traditional funerals. People shouldn't become desensitized to the true solace of attending a real funeral. Funerals bring people together to mourn, which provides some sort of relief. Although the internet could be used to send consolidations, it shouldn't replace funerals. I don't think any of them shouldn't be used, they all act as proactive way to deal with the person's death and might help in the process of grief. The one change that surprised me the most was the creation of mixed videos that would integrate significant parts of the person's life. Although it's a creative idea, I didn't think people would take such personal experiences like video clips and expose them to the whole world online. If I plan on using technology while putting together a tribute for someone, I might make a video but definitely not post it on a webpage where everybody can see it. I'll make it private to only the people that knew the person and would've been invited to the funeral.
I believe that these technological changes are appropriate so people who have lost there loved ones and can’t make it to there funeral or cant afford to get there can view the funeral on the internet. Further more, I believe that is not inappropriate because many people who care about there loved ones that passed away have a chance to view there funeral, unless the person said that they do not want to be viewed in public before dying. In my opinion the most surprising use of technology was how you could save funerals on a file on some of the websites. I would contribute the person death by making a website for the person.
I’m not really sure if I agree with all the technological advances described. It seems beneficial to be able to watch a stream of someone’s funeral if you can’t physically be there, however, it also seems a bit irreverent and detached and this probably surprised me the most. The point of a funeral is to physically say goodbye to someone and console their family and friends and the emotions one feels or emits during a funeral are not the same if the funeral is simply streamed online. However, recently I have a lot of “friends of friends” dying and people seem to be taking comfort in “talking” to the deceased through facebook and myspace messages and walls, even though they know they will not receive a reply. I’m lead to question however whether this is psychologically beneficial or detrimental since continuing communication or attachment with someone who is dead may have some negative implications on a person’s psyche. I think that if I were planning a tribute for someone, the farthest I would go is to make a memorial website with videos, photos, and other various items, such as music, that the person enjoyed while they were alive.
The Funeral Industry Goes Digital:
I believe that all the technological changes are convenient, but I’m not sure that some religions would accept this idea. Some of the technology’s described in this article such as the streaming video of the ceremony online is good for family members of the deceased who are not in the same area as where the funeral is taking place, especially these days’ people live far away from each other. I personally did not like this idea because the fact that everyone can see the funeral online, sometimes it’s good to have some privacy. Especially when family member are in grief. The other thing that worries me about this technology is the way it may advance and could be more business oriented, which could lead into the loss of cultural ways of doing funerals. In general I liked all of the technology used in the article except the one were its been watched the whole ceremony online (streaming video). If I was planning a tribute for someone I would use e-mail process to inform family members and friends about the funeral.
Ousmane Yonis 9th Grade Digital Media
In my opinion, I think the technological changes are all appropriate. People say that the 21st century is the year of technology, and it is. By making a site for people to visit and having the video ready, people who are both related and unrelated can mourn over the death. For example, say that your mother had died of age, and some of your cousins are in another country and are unable to come. Wouldn’t it be better for them to sit infront of their computer and mourn over them then coming on an airplane just for the funeral? I don’t think there should be too much cameras or else, the funeral won’t look like a funeral and look as though a star had come. Only one video camera should be used to take a video of the scene and the person taking the movie should get permissions from the families. I was a bit surprised at how advanced technology is now. I really thought the idea of watching a funeral at your house was a fantastic idea. If I were to tribute someone, I would send a small present of sympathy by sending it through internet shopping. I would explain my situation and why I couldn’t come through email.
I was surprised to hear of the amount of technology being used to say farewell to the departed. Myspace was the most surprising form of technology being used. I was surprised to hear that many people paid tribute to the dearly departed and honored their memory of him or her by posting poems and sending e-cards. Most of the technology being used was appropriate. However, the technology will only remain appropriate if the funeral home respects the family’s wishes. Also, I do feel that movies being posted on Youtube, or similar websites, are inappropriate. Many people who use Youtube might feel insulted or post improper comments about that person. All in all, I don’t see any apparent negative aspect to using the Internet or any other form of technology to commemorate someone.
The funeral Industry goes digital.
I believe that most of the changes described in the article are appropriate and good, but for everything good there is a bad part. In this case, I believe that putting funerals on the internet may lessen the dramatic effect of the funeral. If you don’t want to show up to a funeral, and then forget it, and don’t watch it online, it just doesn’t seem right. I believe that it makes sense putting a small site on the internet where you pay your respect to the deceased, but to watch the funeral again should not be allowed, its a once in a lifetime for a person event, and should stay that way. I found the use of the technology in the article not surprising, after all, its like you tube just at a funeral. If I was planning a tribute to someone i would do it the old fashioned way, with a grave in a graveyard, and without cameras and microphones!
I do not think that the technological changes made to the actual funeral were appropriate because it is broadcasting something private to that certain family. The live obituary I think is the least favorable of all of these possibilities. The only way that I would incorporate technology would be to possibly be to create a memory page on Myspace for that person. by Safia
I'm the owner of Otrib. I respect the point of view that funerals are personal, sacred events that should be held in private.
However, there are circumstances where people who wish to attend burial rites of a friend or family member are just not able to physically be in attendance. And it is often the case that a parent who has lost a child or a spouse who has lost a soul-mate, is in mourning for prolonged periods of time, literally years after the death has occurred.
The mission of Otrib is to help people deal with end of life events. We do this in a number of ways:
1) We allow consumers the ability to post Tribute pages of loved ones. This is a free service. Newspapers charge for death notifications. Sometimes this can cost several thousand dollars. Or, in other cases, the funeral homes will add the cost of death notification to the costs of a funeral.
2) We have community forums that allow people to share their grief with others. They can read our Forums without having to register with the site. We even offer the ability to have real-time chat with other people dealing with the death of a loved one. This too is a free service.
There are many other things we do to help people, but I don't want to sound like a salesman. I just wanted to present our side of the story. We have thousands of users that come to the site daily. I get letters from people all over the world thanking me for creating a site that helps them honor their loved ones in a respectful, dignified and yes, convenient way. I'm not ashamed of what we have created.
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