Facebook Keeps Asking Me To Say “Happy Birthday” To Dead People

Walking meanderingly through my notifications, I was jolted by something that shattered the normalcy of my online routine. “Wish James a Happy Birthday!” chirped Facebook cheerily. The only issue? James had passed away two years ago. This isn’t just my story; it’s an unsettling intersection of grief and social media that many people face today.

Personal Experience with Facebook’s Algorithms

Navigating grief while being bombarded by Facebook’s “say happy birthday” prompts can feel like salt being rubbed into a wound. When those reminders pertain to dearly departed friends, they come across as painfully out of touch. Facing this with not one but two of my friends whose birthdays are in early July, I realized Facebook’s algorithm doesn’t quite grasp the finality of death. It continues, optimistically and cluelessly, to prod me to engage.

A Digital Legacy in the Age of Social Media

In today’s connected world, we leave a substantial digital footprint. Facebook, with its memory prompts and preserved interactions, maintains an eerie semblance of life for those who’ve passed. It’s jarring when compared to something like iMessage, where conversations naturally fade into the background. Our interactions on…