Evolution of Obituaries in the Digital AgeAs technology evolves in the digital age, how people share news of their loved ones’ passing also shifts.
Although some people still prefer print obituaries, emergencies like 9/11 and the COVID-19 brought more people to online obituaries and memorial pages. Digital platforms and AI-assisted writing tools have made […]
Although some people still prefer print obituaries, emergencies like 9/11 and the COVID-19 brought more people to online obituaries and memorial pages. Digital platforms and AI-assisted writing tools have made a significant impact on how people create and share obituaries. Advantages include lower costs, global sharing and tools to support people who either don’t feel comfortable writing obituaries or whose grief has impacted their capacity to do so. Of course, these shifts come with some pitfalls, too. There are concerns around privacy protections in the digital afterlife, and inaccuracies when AI is used in writing obituaries.
Initial Growth in Online Obituaries/Memorial Pages
In the wake of 9/11, Legacy.com collaborated with The New York Times to quickly post notices and guest books online so people could find their loved ones and memorialize them. This was a turning point for the transition from primarily print-based obituaries to a leap into the digital age.
In the article “Forever, Wherever, Whenever: How Technology Has Changed Obituaries,” Tracie Martin from Legacy.com shares that the team didn’t simply stick with death notices, but created short narrative obituaries for the almost 3,000 people that died that day. How Obituaries Went From Dry Death Notices to Tributes to Truth features Susan Soper, an obituary expert, who discusses that change, particularly in the way language people use in obituaries evolved during that time. She said,
“Everybody was recognized as a whole person,” Soper said.“And they had fun anecdotes, they made you cry, they made you smile. And that, to me, is sort of when the tide turned in obituaries, and people realized you could bring a person to life and keep them alive in even a short written bio.”
During COVID-19, online obituaries became even more crucial, and the ideas of digital sharing grew even beyond these notices. People gathered virtually, created more in-depth virtual spaces to honor their loved ones and even livestreamed services.
Shifting Practices and Priorities
Print obituaries are often cost-prohibitive for families. Many newspapers now offer a lower-priced option and, according to a recent study by Tribute Tech, digital memorials account for 65% of death notices. They are often offered for free — and for those who want a bit more, there are different pricing tiers to fit someone’s particular budget.
Instead, people are creating communal grief centers in digital spaces. In Memorials and Remembrance in the Digital Age, former president of the National Funeral Directors Association, Randy Andersen, said that “recordings of streamed services can be added to an obituary webpage, along with tribute videos. These can be left on the website indefinitely so that friends and family can access them anytime.”
Sometimes people struggle to write obituaries, for obvious reasons. Although they could hire someone from a funeral home or a professional obituary writer, those options are not always in the budget and may not feel personal enough. As a result, people are starting to turn to AI for writing support. They can input the important things they want to share about their loved one’s life, and use ChatGPT or obituary writing-specific tools like Obitwriter. (For any obituary or digital memorial, it is always important to double-check facts, particularly if using AI tools during the writing process.)
Although AI can be helpful, the new technology also comes with some drawbacks. Sometimes AI gets facts wrong, and there are concerns around the potential for digital graverobbing. Digital graverobbing is a way in which people harness AI to “write obituaries” for people they do not know. They use it for clicks and to monetize. They are often similar to what was originally written, but the aggregating leaves something to be desired and tends to mix and match information. According to a CNET article on the practice,
“The first days after a death often create a data void where people are searching for information … Opportunists, including criminal networks around the world, are more than happy to fill that void. The more a death is being posted about, the more fake obituaries you’ll see.”
Protecting the Digital Afterlife
As more of our lives (and our afterlives) are brought into the digital age, the more privacy and data concerns are at the forefront of the conversation. Although there are privacy settings and user agreements for data on social media, websites, and other platforms while a user is alive, it is unclear who owns that data after someone dies. Faheem Hussain, a clinical assistant professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State University, stated in an article on neuroscience news, “It’s important for us to talk about the digital afterlife. You need to manage what will happen when you are not here anymore.”
The digital age has brought many changes to how people grieve and how they honor those they love. Digital memorials account for 65% of death notices, and more people are creating online grief communities. Challenges arise with barriers in digital literacy and the use of AI in obituary writing. No matter what form a memorial takes, creating an obituary should be a cathartic process — one that allows those who are grieving to reflect on a person’s life and legacy.
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