Each day in the United states XXXX people die. For the survivors of the deceased the average cost of the funeral is $8,000.00 This leaves the 4-5 family members little resource to consult a physician or professional to help them heal their grief. Out of these family members 1 may own a computer or have access to an Internet provider.
Sitting alone one evening they turn to keywords, death, dying, grief, Angels, looking to find answers to the hard questions left to them.
One hundred years ago, people within a community were aware of a person’s grief, they were given outward indicators, by the dressing in black, or an armband that was worn for a year to indicate that they may still be in mourning. Today, people are given three days to deal with a death, make arrangements, and be back at work. These people are rushed into a “get over it” feeling, and not given options to deal with the issues of loss.
When tragedy strikes a community, the Internet can provide an instant service to it’s members to help them through the initial stress and grief involved. Communities have access to many computers and Internet facilities which would make available to anyone the support system that is being built on the Internet.
During the first few days after the death of a loved one, many use the Internet as a resource to find the arrangements and resources available to them. They look for a website that will give them the options to find the type of services that will assist them in the planning of a funeral, or memorial service. From this they may stumble on a grief support site. Initially they will not go to the site for support, they have no immediate need. Some may have been a caregiver to the deceased and will have opportunity to talk to a doctor or hospice worker and be given some information on dealing with grief. Some will have been given information from a religious organization if they have gone through a church or synagogue for a memorial service. Others still will receive information from a funeral home about the possible grief related issues. Because of the anonymity provided by the Internet, many will turn to grief support sites.
(Insert STATs on sites - I have not been able to compile these STATs)
Those that do find the sites that offer interaction, will be able to share the fears and concerns of grief issues. Those that have been treated with antidepressants from a family physician, will learn that there ability to share the issues of the loss can now move forward to a productive life. Those that may need medication, will find support to find the physician that will work with them to provide “real life” support.
Many grief support sites are run by nonprofessionals that offer “been there - done that” knowledge and a supportive ear. They are not a replacement for those with profound grief that need therapeutic counseling or medication. Many of these sites benefit from Links to a professional counselor, and offer the bereaved alternatives to merely listening, to deal with issues of grief. The linking of these grief support, Memorial and Funeral sites is an important issue that must be dealt with by the Internet community.
To offer the services to the bereaved that will give them a sense of closure to the death, and a way to honor those that they have lost is a way of healing the wound left in the Heart of the survivor.
The future of the Internet within the Death, Grief and Recovery system will be to have the type of linking that will make each person within the Internet community aware of the possibilities available to them, without bringing up the latest “hot site”. The medical profession, the mortuaries, cemeteries, memorial, and support sites must work together to provide an overall support system. a true sense of community that has become so dominate on the Internet.
Some of the competition must be removed and support offered to the bereaved without the "hype" for hits. An evaluation process for the benefit of each site to the bereaved should come from the mourners, not the ratings. Search engines should not be flooded with page after page of the same site, but listings of the community relation for each site. |
