What is the deal with these teenagers that create 'R.I.P _______' pages on Facebook? Having worked with a number of kids that are barely out of highschool, a number of these pages have popped up in my newsfeed. Only out of boredom, I've clicked on the link only to find that the page has gained over 200 fans in fifteen minutes. If you're bored enough to read the wall posts (I am), it just gets scarier:
"OMG! I neva new u but I think u were in my sisters year level or sumthing? this is so sad. Hope ur family is alright'.
Oh, and if you're really popular, you even have multiple R.I.P pages!!!
It kind of sickens me. I mean, I wouldn't want anyone to make a page like that for me if I died. It's completely inappropriate, and just seems, I don't know, insensitive? Is it because it's easier to log onto facebook than it is to lodge a notice with the Herald Sun? (I'm being judgemental: the demographic of people who create these pages surely don't read The Age). I don't really have an argument as for why these pages are inappropriate - there's LOTS of inappropriate pages on Facebook - but the people who create these pages seem to have forgotten that once something's on the Internet, it stays there. Forever. Another girl I'm friends on Facebook with updated her status on with 'R.I.P ___' (it was her mother) and I although I wouldn't do this myself, I wasn't offended by it. I guess it's a quick way of telling everyone you know without having to go through the pain of telling sort of friends/acquaintances that someone close to you died. So that's ok by me, except of course a number of people (family members, close friends of the person who has passed etc) would of course be told in person or at least via phone.
But people even liked this status update!!! And wrote 'omg what happened' and expected the girl to answer, over Facebook! If one of my close friend's relatives died, I would send them a text-message & then a card. Flowers & visits etc depending on how close the friend was etc. I wouldn't send them a Facebook message! If a close relative of mine died I imagine I would be so distraught I would do nothing but lie in bed listening to my iPod all day (then again I'm fairly addicted to social networking websites so I probably shouldn't speak so soon).
All that being said, I wouldn't mind if someone changed my status to 'is dead'...but given that I don't leave myself logged onto facebook anywhere, even on my personal laptop, I doubt that would happen. Actually, Facebook needs to create something for when someone DOES die on Facebook, so that their Facebook page can be deleted if/when no-one has access to their password and such. Surely it must cause pain for some people, just seeing it there.
Anyone want to write an email to Mark Zuckerberg for me? I've exhausted my complaints email abilities enough for one day :(
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