Why death need not be the last word
Are there things left unsaid after the last breath exits the body? Those unsaids will now get a new voice. A new Facebook application allows users to spill their hearts from beyond the grave. The third-party app called “If I die” lets users record a video or text message that will be published in the event of their death. Once you install the app, you have to select three “trustees” from your Facebook friends list who will confirm your death.
Although some feel it could be useful for people with terminal illnesses to control how they bring to an end their social imprints, others say sending messages from the grave shouldn’t be placed in a fun bracket.
Investment banker and corporate trainer Nitya Prakash was two when his father passed away. His uncle handed him a letter from his father to him. “I still cherish the letter he had left me. You feel great when you get memories wrapped in an envelope. It was all about his days when he was young and how he struggled his way through life apart from some personal stuff as well. I am amazed that we now have an application to do that. It sounded a bit absurd in the beginning, but when you sit back and think about the secrets to be disclosed and messages to be delivered, it actually makes sense. There’s also a website www.YouDeparted.com which offers after-death deliverable,” says Nitya.
When you are thinking about the message that’ll be heard once you are gone, you will revisit your life, relationships, ups and downs, to decide what you would like to say to your loved ones, and the whole exercise will actually help your relationships today, feel some.
“I quite like the idea. This is a nice way to leave your legacy behind, reminisce about your life, let your loved ones know how much you love and care for them and maybe offer some valuable advice. Everyone would not want to send death messages, but for those who want to, this could be a good start. However, one can’t not see the flip side as some can feel paranoid after watching the video again and again,” cautions Karthik Naralasetty, who initiated socialblood.org to help people in need of blood.
Agrees content developer Abhay Kumar, “I think it is innovative but it might create a fuss and debate. I’d like to do this because I would have so much to say once I am not with my friends and family. A friend in Canada, who is battling cancer , recently registered with after-death deliverable service. I think it is nice way to say goodbye.”
On the other hand, there are others who abhor the concept and say death is a serious business and Facebook is not the right forum for bidding goodbyes and making farewell speeches.
A person should always be remembered by the life he has lived and not by how exciting a death message he leaves behind, says Atul Kumar Thakur, who is associated with the Confederation of Indian Industry and adds, “My presence in the social networking world will end with me.”
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