Is A Social Media Condolence Ever Enough?

With 77% of adults owning smartphones, many people communicate mainly on their phone via social media and texts. Whether it’s to make plans, wish a happy birthday or just say hello, we communicate just about everything via social media and texts.

But what about expressing condolences for someone’s loss? When is it okay to express condolences for someone’s loss on social media or via text versus a personal note or another method? Let’s discuss some best practices for expressing sympathy.

Condolences Best Practices

When deciding how to express your condolences, you should use your best judgment. If you’re acquaintances with the person and your primary communication is through social media or texting, then a social media message or text should be fine.

This also may be alright to do for a family member or friend, but you should follow-up with a personal letter. The letter may take several days to mail, so it’s a good idea to send a text message or social media message to let them know you’re thinking of them. And depending on your closeness to the person grieving, you also can stop by for an in-person visit. Just make sure they know ahead of time and are okay with you dropping by.

A good ending to any expression of condolences is to let them know you respect their privacy and understand if they need space. Everyone processes grief differently and responding to condolence messages may be just too much for them. Just let them know you’re there for them if they need you. Tell them you don’t expect a quick response or even a response at all.

If you do choose to send a social media or text message, let’s go over some best practices.

Social Media Condolences

There are several ways to communicate on social media. We’re going to focus on Facebook and the difference between three communication methods: message, post and comment.

A Facebook message is probably your best bet since it’s private. Especially if you want to write a long, personal message with memories of the deceased.

Posting on their Facebook wall is okay if they’ve made a post about their loved one’s passing. You don’t want to bring it up publicly if they haven’t – they may not be ready to make their announcement or might be choosing not to share that information with everyone. Also, keep in mind that a wall post isn’t private. Their friends can see your post, so if you want your message to be private, send a message instead.

Written by Jenny Goldade