Funeral directors in Quebec, Canada are discussing how to educate people that taking selfies over a corpse and posting it to social media may be considered disrespectful in some families.
The president of the corporation of funeral directors of Quebec, Denis Desrochers, said the act of taking photos at a funeral isn’t new, but sharing those photos on social media is.
“There won’t be a ‘selfie police,’” he told Radio-Canada’s Gravel le Matin, but said that among Quebec funeral directors there is a debate over how to educate people about what is respectful behaviour at a funeral parlour.
“In many funeral parlours we have very clear rules around limiting selfies. Or we tell the public that the families don’t want selfies,” he said.
Despite their best efforts, people with mobile phones hide them until the last minute then strike a pose next to the coffin, Desrochers said. Those photos then end up on social media.
He added that taking photos at a funeral isn’t inherently disrespectful and that some experts believe it can be beneficial to the grieving process.
The fad of posting it on social media, however, can be detrimental to the family and the dignity of their late loved one, he said.
