Funerals being broadcast on the web? Are you kidding me?
Sounds bizarre, I know, but apparently it’s becoming the latest craze among funeral homes across the country for mourners who simply can’t make the effort to appear in person.
Truthfully, I’ve always been a little skeptical about funerals anyway. I mean, if you couldn’t make the effort to spend quality time with me while I’m alive, why the hell do I care if you come to see me when I’m dead? It seems to me the whole idea is more about alleviating a person’s guilt rather than mourning the person lying in an overpriced casket.
Now I understand that people today live all over the country – all over the world in fact. If you really care enough about a person and feel you want to extend your condolences to the remaining family members, is logging online to view the “event” like some kind of sick reality program really going to accomplish that?
In my opinion, technology has crossed the line with this one. The end of someone’s life should not be made more convenient for you – in fact it shouldn’t have anything to do with you at all. It should be about the person whose life has just ended and the family who’s now left picking up the pieces of their broken hearts.
Mark my words, technology will eventually rid us of the need to communicate with anyone face to face – causing us to become the most socially inept species in existence. With people now paying their respects while watching it from the comfort of their computer screen, I think we’re closer to that reality than you might think.
