Social media truly not meant for this

I received a rather unusual phone call from a former resident of Hazlehurst the other day.  The person on the other end of the line was upset about some of the things being posted on social media by a couple of local residents.  One particular grievance dealt with funerals.  He asked me to write my column on the topic this week, so here goes.
While I personally do not know anyone who has done this sort of thing on social media, I have heard of it happening in other parts of the state and the nation–posting photos of deceased family members and/or friends lying in a casket prior to or during a funeral service.  The caller was upset that he had viewed such photos on a popular social media app.  “Why in the h-ll would somebody want to disrespect the deceased and their family members like that, Mr. Coates?” he asked.  “It is extremely distasteful and is also upsetting.  Let them have peace.”
My response: “People that do that sort of stuff only care about one thing – seeking attention.”  He agreed.
Imagine us printing such photos in the obituaries above each death notice in the paper each week–or just one time.  Y’all would run me out of town.
I’m probably preaching to the choir, here, but folks, think long and hard about what you want your friends and family to see on your social media outlets.  Some things that seem perfectly okay with you are not with everyone else.  If ‘likes’ or ‘thumbs ups’ are what you seek, find some other avenue, like volunteering in your community.  I promise you, everyone will be grateful, and you will get all the proper attention you can stand.