Is social media and other digital communication the best way to communicate sensitive topics? If a loved one died, would you tweet it, notify by email, text, or phone… or stick to face-to-face communication?
In 2012, we conducted our original survey to find out, and this year we updated our data to visualize how the internet is changing (and even enhancing) your ability to celebrate a beautiful life.
The survey polled 100 adults from all over the US to find out how they would communicate about the death of a loved one and how they would like to be memorialized in the digital age.
2012 Memorial Survey Results:
How do you communicate the news of a loved one’s death?
27% of people said they would share the news of a loved one’s death via Facebook
42% said that they would share the news of a loved one’s death via email
25% said they would share the news of a loved one’s death via text
11% of people have attended a funeral that was videotaped
5% have watched a loved one’s funeral broadcasted over the Internet
62% will choose cremation
38% will choose burial
How would you memorialize a loved one at the funeral?
40% said with a video tribute
24% said with an online memory guest book
76% said with a photo collage
After you die, what type of obituary would you prefer that your friends and/or family use?
55% said traditional newspaper obituary
10% said with a memorial Facebook page
10% said a funeral home website obituary
23% said all of the above
What aspect of you funeral would you prefer that your friends/family spend the most money on?
11% said very nice burial plot and gravestone
18% said large memorial party
8% said a unique send off like blasting your ashes off in a cannon, making them into fireworks or creating a custom urn
62% said nothing; I don’t want my funeral to be extravagant or expensive
While some traditional practices concerning death and memorials remain the same, it seems as though most “death communications” are moving to the digital world.
2017 Memorial Survey Results:
Comparing Evolving Trends in Death and Memorials.
The following compares our 2017 Memorial Survey data to our original 2012 survey.
How do you communicate the news of a loved one’s death?
| 2017 Results | 2012 Results | |
| Phone | 90% | 90% |
| Text | 43% | 25% |
| 39% | 42% | |
| 40% | 27% | |
| In Person | 77% | 13% |
Interesting to note that as we become more accepting of technology in our daily lives, more people opt for communicating about the death of a loved one by phone or in person.
How would you inform others of the funeral date and location?
| 2017 | 2012 | |
| Phone | 84% | 91% |
| Text | 53% | 38% |
| 57% | 71% | |
| 43% | 29% |
How would you memorialize your loved one at the funeral?
| 2017 | 2012 | |
| With a well-written eulogy | 71% | 67% |
| Using a photo collage | 71% | 76% |
| A memory guest book | 46% | 55% |
| An online memory guest book | 18% | 24% |
| Video tribute | 34% | 40% |
- In 2017, 16% had attended a funeral that was video taped vs. 11% in 2012.
- 4% of participants attended a funeral via an internet broadcast in 2012 vs. only 1% in 2017.
What type of obituary would you prefer that your friends and/or family use for your service?
| 2017 | 2012 | |
| Traditional newspaper obituary | 47% | 55% |
| Dedicated memorial website | 6% | 2.3% |
| Funeral home website obituary | 14% | 10.3% |
| Memorial Facebook profile | 14% | 9% |
| All of the Above | 20% | 23% |
What aspect of you funeral would you prefer that your friends/family spend the most money on?
| 2017 | 2012 | |
| A very nice casket | 2% | 2% |
| A very nice burial plot and gravestone | 10% | 11% |
| A large memorial party | 18% | 18% |
| A unique send off | 7% | 7% |
| Nothing, I don’t want my funeral to be extravagant or expensive | 63% | 62% |
The desire for an economic funeral held true over the past 5 years. In 2017, 68% would prefer cremation (a more economic alternative to burial) over burial, slightly higher than the 2012 survey (62%).
2021 Memorial Survey Results:
Comparing Evolving Trends in Death and Memorials.
The following compares our 2021 Memorial Survey data to our original 2012 survey.
How do you communicate the news of a loved one’s death?
| 2021 Results | 2012 Results | |
| Phone | 84% | 90% |
| Text | 58% | 25% |
| 24% | 42% | |
| 33% | 27% | |
| In Person | 69% | 13% |
How would you inform others of the funeral date and location?
| 2021 | 2012 | |
| Phone | 73% | 91% |
| Text | 67% | 38% |
| 43% | 71% | |
| 35% | 29% | |
| In Person | 53% | 9% |
How would you memorialize your loved one at the funeral?
| 2021 | 2012 | |
| With a well-written eulogy | 62% | 67% |
| Using a photo collage | 58% | 76% |
| A memory guest book | 57% | 55% |
| An online memory guest book | 31% | 24% |
| Video tribute | 37% | 40% |
- In 2021, 24% had attended a funeral that was video taped vs. 11% in 2012.
- 4% of participants attended a funeral via an internet broadcast in 2012 vs. 12% in 2021.
What type of obituary would you prefer that your friends and/or family use for your service?
| 2021 | 2012 | |
| Traditional newspaper obituary | 17% | 55% |
| Dedicated memorial website | 19% | 2.3% |
| Funeral home website obituary | 22% | 10.3% |
| Memorial Facebook profile | 8% | 9% |
| All of the Above | 34% | 23% |
What aspect of your funeral would you prefer that your friends/family spend the most money on?
| 2021 | 2012 | |
| A very nice casket | 4% | 2% |
| A very nice burial plot and gravestone | 8% | 11% |
| A large memorial party | 16% | 18% |
| A unique send off | 5% | 7% |
| Nothing, I don’t want my funeral to be extravagant or expensive | 67% | 62% |
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