A man got the shock of his life when he opened Facebook to discover his sister had passed away.
While he was aware that she was in the hospital and her health had been deteriorating for several years, he couldn’t help but feel hurt that he and the rest of his siblings had to learn through social media and that their Baby Boomer father, who had been with his sister, failed to tell them before jumping on Facebook to post about her death.
Son says he felt hurt that his Boomer dad announced his sister’s death on Facebook before telling him in person
Vents his sadness and frustration on Redditthe man wrote, “On Facebook, my dad responds to messages of sympathy but has neglected to reach out and tell me (and my other siblings) directly,” the man reported. “None of us are fighting or talking, so there’s no reason not to tell us.”
The heartbroken man believes his father is a “selfish, entitled Boomer who is more focused on getting attention on social media than he is on alerting his family members to his daughter’s passing and comforting them.”
“I didn’t know where else to vent and I’m not writing to seek sympathy; I just wanted to let it go without creating a family fight,” the man admitted.
Other people found it strange and selfish that the man’s father did not personally tell him about his sister’s death
Guillaume Issaly / Unsplash+
“I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s crazy how Boomers complain about kids being addicted to their phones and social media while simultaneously chasing/engaging agriculture harder than any of my contemporaries,” commented one Redditor.
“I can’t believe he would post it on Facebook before telling his family. My wife passed away in December and I finally posted it on Facebook after telling everyone in person,” another user shared.
“I am so sorry for your loss. Boomers love to be first delivering bad medical news to anyone who will listen, even strangers or very loose employees. It’s bizarre,” wrote another user.
For Boomers who overshare on social media, the boundaries aren’t always clear
Social media is part of our lives. There’s no getting around it, but unfortunately, some people—and this isn’t just limited to Boomers— choose to use it as a diary rather than sending birthday wishes and sharing funny cat videos.
But maybe oversharing isn’t as scary or narcissistic as many people think: A survey from 2018 found that people who had social anxiety were more likely to engage in oversharing, using Facebook and Instagram as outlets for difficult emotions.
But what constitutes oversharing has changed drastically in a short time: A survey from 2022 further investigated the oversharing phenomenon and found that frequency was a factor in determining whether something was too personal to share or not.
Basically, the more often a poster interacts with their online community, the less inhibited they are to share personal information. But there’s a catch: For those who share and engage frequently, sharing personal information online starts to seem completely normal, like talking to a friend one-on-one, and that’s where it gets tricky because some people don’t know where to draw the line.
However, when it comes to a death in the familythe line is pretty clear: Immediate family members and close friends deserve a courtesy call and the chance to say goodbye, if possible, instead of opening social media one day and discovering that one of their loved ones is already gone.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango covering entertainment and news, self-love and relationships.
