The Acceptance of Social Media as a Communication Tool

Yesterday I shared a piece about developing friendships in a social media world and the summary is that social media is not a substitute for other forms of communication, especially when you are wanting to build deeper relationships.

However…

As I was writing that article, I decided to check on the status of a friend who had been ill and hospitalized.

I checked his Facebook page and sure enough, he passed away the day before and people were leaving lots of comments.

I recall a few short years ago when my wife and I were visiting one of her brothers, that his father in law was not home and we asked, “Where’s Joe?”  The answer was, “He died a few months ago.  I posted it on Facebook.”  We thought that was ridiculous, it deserved an email or a phone call.

But now we have come to expect social media to be as valid a communication tool as any other.

I just wonder if my funeral will be posted on Pinterest, Instgram, Vine or all of the above.