We’ve compiled some stats on death on Facebook and thought we’d share them with you in our first of many infographics. While we typically try not to be morbid, there are some interesting findings, especially when comparing the Facebook death rate (extremely low) in comparison to the world death rate (much greater). Check out the facts below!
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL
 |
Tap into our vast network of talented social media pros.
Post a risk-free job listing
![[Inside Social Apps 2012]](http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/themes/allfacebook2/images/ISA2012_336x100_F_RegisterNow.gif)
![[AllFacebook Stats: Facebook Analytics for Your Business]](http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/themes/allfacebook2/images/stpro_allfacebookstats.gif)
![[How can Facebook change your business?]](http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/themes/allfacebook2/images/FMB_A_MAY2011_336x100_F.gif)
February 8-9, 2012 | San Francisco
Developing & monetizing on social & mobile platforms
June 28-29, 2012 | San Francisco
Your how-to guide for Facebook marketing.
This is quite an interesting post. I don't know if I should be upset, or not; surprised, or not.
My father was murdered last year, not long after he'd created a facebook account. Needless to say this is a touchy subject. I'd you had to ask me whether it would be a good idea to write a post like this, guess what the answer would be. Or even better: imagine the hurt you would have caused if you even had the audacity to ask me something like that.
But, you live in a democracy, and so do I. I suppose you have the right to write whatever you want.
Comment by Optimised Onion — September 2, 2010 @ 10:22 am
Optimised Onion, all due respect and sorry for your loss but what is wrong about this post? This is a site about the lesser known aspects of and inner workings of Facebook and I personally think the idea of what happens to a person's profile after they die is quite interesting and useful information.
Comment by Take it Easy — September 2, 2010 @ 10:38 am
I appreciate the fact that the facebook team is looking at the whole picture of the life cycle of your users.
As one who has a friends list deliberately selected from around the Earth and from many different and divergent areas of interest, I know that for many of them this is and will be our only link. And yet we share life. If you define life as a mosaic of slices of time shared. I develop feelings, share
emotions, celebrate personal victories, defeats, struggles, moments of brilliance, moments of doubts. I bring them into my life. I feel that they do the same. And, I grieve
when the link is broken. Just as I do when I loose a neighbor or a childhood friend or even a family member.
You may not see these links as more than a casual connection- this service you offer as more than a great convenience. But for some of us the veils of reality are very thin. Where we commit time we invest life. And I want a chance to say good-bye to those I have invest life in.
Comment by R L Pete Housman — September 2, 2010 @ 10:49 am
Take it Easy, it's actually quite offensive in tone for some of us who have "dead friends" on their list. The statistics are stupid, for one thing. People die. Facebook or no Facebook. It's painful and nothing to laugh at. The info about reporting a deceased person is informative. But jokingly stating what to do if FB prompts you to reconnect with "Joe Deadfriend" and then the tongue-in-cheek reference to your mom crying is over the line, IMO. I shiver at the thought of a sweet teen girl I know on FB who is still mourning the sudden death of her mother (also a FB friend of mine) may stumble across this some day (in case you're wondering, she's not doing too well with the death.) Anyway, I'm not upset about the post. But it is in extremely poor taste. It just is. Saying "it's supposed to be funny" doesn't cover EVERYTHING done in poor taste.
Comment by Ally — September 2, 2010 @ 10:57 am
This is amazingly common. I am only 47 years old, have only been on FB 3 years and already have two deceased "friends" whose profiles are still up. And I'm not even someone with a lot of FB friends to begin with…maybe 30 to 40, tops.
Comment by Kelly M — September 2, 2010 @ 12:21 pm
I agree with Ally. The article is very informative but done in extremely poor taste. Yes death is a part of life but this article could have been written in a much more eloquent manner. This article could still have been written in a "light-hearted" manner without being as tactless as it is currently written.
Comment by dnote — September 2, 2010 @ 12:31 pm
I think that Zuckerberg will figure out how to use it even when you're dead…he's a pretty smart guy you know (and then again Google could beat him to it)…hell I wouldn't mind using it up in heaven. It might break the monotony of being with all those nice, soft spoken people who make it there…most comedians won't make it that's for sure (Andrew Dice Clay for example…God can forgive alot of things but not sexism)…well,perhaps I'll make it…hope they don't like ask any ex wives for their opinion…anyways, I think Facebook is cool anywhere
Comment by oscar wright — September 2, 2010 @ 1:54 pm
There is now way that this article should be considered "poor taste". Just because a person is so emotionally wrecked by the loss of another person that reading about how facebook deals with it, some statistics and with humor is really a personal emotional problem of the reader. This article OBVIOUSLY makes no attempt to hurt people's feelings or be disrespectful to dead people or their left behind loved ones, therefore, do NOT attack him if his comments insulted you. Attacking someone in this manner because you are emotionally bothered, insulted or whatever is your emotional hurt….is truly acting in POOR TASTE!!
Had he intended to hurt your feelings, then attack….otherwise just stay silent about it because it is your own issue. Cry, pray, visit a friend, talk with a priest or counselor, take a nap, somehow work through your grief, etc.–I't not my issue, the others readers, nor the author…it is only yours. PLEASE don't hurl your hurt at this or other similar authors just so you can feel better and more almighty somehow.
I'm sure he is empathetic to your hurt, but he certainly was NOT writing in "poor taste", nor being hurtful to you or anyone else, dead or alive! You were far more out of line than he could ever have been. Personally, I think you should apologize to the author for slinging your own hurts at them like that..just sayin'.
Thank you.
Comment by Ally andthelike arew — September 2, 2010 @ 3:55 pm
http://legacylocker.com/
It's unfortunate that some people are making a big deal about the way the author shared useful information. It was written with some humor… get over it. Nobody's directly targeting your lost loved ones.
Comment by El Jefe — September 2, 2010 @ 5:50 pm
Agreed. Good information, incredibly poor taste.
Comment by Todd Sieling — September 2, 2010 @ 5:56 pm
Does this mean I should leave my login data with my family (or in my will) so that they can “manage” (or rather delete) my profile after I pass?
But then isn’t that in conflict with the terms of agreement which I think prevent you from sharing your login data with other people? WHAT TO DO?
Comment by Lorne Marr — September 2, 2010 @ 6:19 pm
Thanks for the stats. I’ve been researching the topic of digital legacy and what happens to your digital identity and content after you die, so this information is quite relevant to me.
Nathan Lustig at Entrustet also came up with some stats for US-based deaths on Facebook. His research calculated 375,000 deaths this year: http://blog.entrustet.com/2010/07/19/ghost-profiles-375000-american-facebook-users-will-pass-away-this-year/
Comment by Adele McAlear — September 2, 2010 @ 6:35 pm
Thanks for daring to ask the question that none of us really want to ask, but think of anyway.
Since signing up for facebook (back in those days of anticipation, waiting to be accepted to college just so I could create an account) I have, inevitably lost a few friends. I think it's interesting that before the Virginia Tech incident they would just delete the profile. I guess the concept was new, but to think of that now it sounds very depressing and sad.
Delete.
That's all it would take to erase someone's memories, posts, the life they have created on the web. Deleting someone off facebook after they pass seems very depressing and not very honoring.
I'm glad that the Virginia Tech students pressed facebook to create a special memorial for those deceased. I didn't know that they had that. Those I know who have passed have not had that — I can think of four that constantly come up as "Reconnect" – it is a little weird, but it gives me the opportunity to click on their picture and remember them for a moment.
Now that I know about this special way to "protect" their profile, I will definitely see if I can send facebook a message and get the profile to be a memorial.
Comment by SARAH WARE — September 2, 2010 @ 7:24 pm
Hm. It's a bit scary feature on Facebook. Lucky they are not writing "Is he dead?"
Comment by facebook templates — September 3, 2010 @ 3:58 am
Thank you! Tes,I can contact,have done!!!This profile will be a memorial!!!
Comment by Frances Heneghan — September 3, 2010 @ 4:40 am
The modern reaction to death is a strange development and really very recent. Before the loss of a loved one was sad, but it was "understood" that the person went on to something better… or worse. The Victorian period saw the dead as curiosities with creepy dead baby pictures and picnics in newly designed park-like cemeteries. Again, the body was just the vessel, and the memory was important. Here you see 19th century grave markers mentioning the sacred memory of the dead. Today, death has been so perverted by social movements that anything less that the utmost perfection is a sign of disrespect. This article discusses statistics, not the dead individual. Death is a common occurrence but since it is presented to us in pretty packaged and preserved corpses in a funeral home and we don't even get bones in our butchered grocery store meat… the perceptions of death and the memory of the dead has been perverted.
Comment by Adam Heinrich — September 3, 2010 @ 7:49 am
Thank you for sharing the link to report a profile of a deceased friend. I have cried when a friend who's passed on has appeared in a "reconnect with" field.
I was not offended by the post and actually shared it on facebook because I find the last link useful.
Comment by Danielle Kempe — September 3, 2010 @ 9:57 am
@Ally andthelike arewrong, I guess you missed the part where I said "the info about reporting a deceased person is informative" and "anyway, I’m not upset about the post," huh? In fact, YOUR reaction was a bit too emotional. YOU are the one doing the attacking. I see no other attacks on the thread. I just pointed out that a little compassion woven into an otherwise informative post for those living in extremely painful circumstances would not be out of line. And you go off about that? Wow. Why so touchy about it? Were YOU personally hurt by some people not loving every word of it? Because it seems like you were. So defensive. Just, wow again.
Comment by Ally — September 3, 2010 @ 11:31 am
Oh, and I also can't see where I lashed out in any way out of my own hurt, as you suggested. I'm not hurting. I do have a deceased person on my list. But her daughter is the one who is torn apart, not me. So I'm just not understanding your (lack of) reading comprehension skills in formulating your attack, sorry.
Comment by Ally — September 3, 2010 @ 11:34 am
I didn't know this exists.
So far, since three years ago when I started joining facebook, I've had two facebook and real life friends who died. And it is very distressing to find them haunting your facebook page, asking you to reconnect with them.
Maybe only relatives should be allowed to report the facebook user as deceased.
Pretty creepy and cool.
Mavic
facebook user
Comment by Mavic Relayson — September 4, 2010 @ 12:04 am
[...] ???All Fackbook 20100902 [...]
Pingback by ?????facebook????????? - cacaFly ???? — September 14, 2010 @ 2:54 am
[...] via: All Facebook [...]
Pingback by Facts About Death On Facebook | It Thing! — September 14, 2010 @ 2:58 am
[...] All Facebook [...]
Pingback by Surprising Facts About Death On Facebook (Infographic) | EpidemicFun.com — September 30, 2010 @ 11:46 pm
Death on facebook
How facebook can kill you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhbVCaYxVyY
Comment by jim — October 10, 2010 @ 4:45 pm
The web address has death on Facebook written in it, If this information would offend you why would you open the link to begin with? Yes people die, yes i know many people who have died and are on Facebook, but this wasn't written to upset people, rather just to show how ridiculous Facebook is getting. Now and then i still get reconnecting messages to contact my uncle who committed suicide last year, and you know what it does freak me out and it does upset me and it could make people cry so i dont think there is anything wrong with this article – and like i said if you are going to upset by an opinion on the way facebook deals with dead people, then why read this article to begin with?
Comment by ash — November 10, 2010 @ 9:32 pm
How incredibly bizarre all this stuff is, I don't think I care either way what happens to my accounts!
Comment by LinkMünki — November 15, 2010 @ 10:23 am
[...] just what might happen to your Facebook after you die?? Of course not. OK, maybe a little. But the makers of this infographic has not only thought about it, but has illustrated it! …the facts might [...]
Pingback by GirlyNerds… » Blog Archive » What Happens to Your Facebook After You Die? — November 23, 2010 @ 10:42 am
I am so sad that lots of people died on facebook
Comment by Fatma — December 11, 2010 @ 7:26 pm
Cool Site. iDeparted transfers or deactivates Facebook, Twitter and your other Social Media accounts. You can also do your blog, Website, and domain names. http://www.ideparted.com
Comment by John Asten — December 31, 2010 @ 12:57 am
Enter text right here!
Comment by Emmanuel von Larsen — April 3, 2011 @ 6:01 pm
I have childhood best friend and a great-uncle who passed away this year and they had facebook accounts. I'm glad they still have theirs up because I can go and leave little messages for them. Oddly it keeps them alive in my heart. I do not find this article in bad taste. In fact it's something my friend would probably be smiling at and she would tell me "Don't you dare cry or I will come down there and 'spirit smack' you." Death is depressing, so a little humor doesn't hurt. What I do find in bad taste, however, is people posting app requests on their page.
A friend or relative controls my friend's page and she updates it with pictures of her and her kids (which is fine) but she also sends out app requests and plays games on it. I think that's just disrespectful, if not for my deceased friend, then for those left behind.
Comment by Juannabanana — July 21, 2011 @ 4:00 am
I doubt anyone will delibrately report a friend as dead when they are still alive. I think the tribute page thing is really a great idea. I have left messages on such pages before and I think it is some sort of comfort for the griefing friends and family.
Coupons for edible arrangements
Comment by Arrangements Coupons — August 1, 2011 @ 7:03 am
I did not know Facebook removed pages of dead people in the past. Nice of them to make the pages a tribute page for the deceased. lowes coupon
Comment by lowes — August 14, 2011 @ 2:53 pm
Awesome Facebook's App
Comment by Autozone Locations — September 9, 2011 @ 10:48 pm
nice information
iPod | iPhone | iPad
Gadget | Telephone Mobile
Comment by gadget | technology — November 17, 2011 @ 6:56 am
Lol not exactly a big "surprise"… I figured it was this way a long long time ago.
wow alliance leveling
druid leveling
cataclysm leveling blog
Comment by James — December 13, 2011 @ 2:43 pm
nice information and informatif. Visit me on find my phone thank you, regards
Comment by find my phone — December 17, 2011 @ 12:18 am
If Facebook would like to 'memorialise' a death on Fb, why does it have to be essential that evidence from the web would have to be noticed to admin. Alternative is for loved ones to put somethin on the wall. Still not great from Fb but chances are, if you are a REAL friend, youd know from word I assume.
I dont think this is bad taste. It is exactly what I was looking for out of interest after browsing the Internet. Hopefully I wouldnt have to apply this knowledge. Now I know.
Comment by Antimatter31 — January 1, 2012 @ 7:41 pm