If you search the hashtag #deathtok over on TikTok, you’ll find 190 million views and many people creating video content about the death and funeral industry, from insights into the day in the life of a mortician to skits about problematic interactions at funeral homes. These videos might be educational or provide comic relief, but are they changing the conversations about death?

#Deathtok began trending in 2021 - what are we seeing?

People seeking out content about death shouldn’t come as a surprise; death has become such a taboo in our society that people often go seeking these conversations, rather than having them with their friends and family. The anonymity and ease of online communities can become the comfort or escape we need, and TikTok isn’t the only place people are finding it. Even reddit has a thread called “Ask A Funeral Director” with nearly 17,000 members and over 30 funeral directors ready to answer any questions that arise. 

Here at Bare, we like to embrace these challenging topics. The fact that people are searching for these conversations and entertaining videos means that people do want to talk more openly about death, but they just don’t know how.

Satiating our morbid curiosity

People love the weird and wacky. You’ve got morticians sharing their best makeup tricks on the deceased, educating people about decomposition, and answering questions like do people get cremated with their clothes on.

Our lives have been more consumed by death over the past two years with covid, so it’s no wonder people are searching for answers, or simply satiating their curiosity. Some people are inherently nosey, so what you can’t or shouldn’t ask in real life is stripped away online. With no filter, that’s where it all comes out. 

Read: How talking about death gives us more choice for end-of-life

Candid conversations about life and death

Death is one of the few certainties in life, but despite this most people dread talking and thinking about their own passing, let alone the people in their lives. 

This direct discourse with deathcare workers is a gateway to opening up those discussions about death. Often people are less open to talking about death when they’re surrounded by the loss of a loved one, which is met with grief and sorrow. 

It’s easier to discuss death when it’s a topic of conversation, rather than what you’re currently living. When you’re a bit more removed from death and it’s more of an abstract concept, it’s easier to engage. 

By normalising death, it paves the way for end-of-life planning, which gives us more choice and autonomy about our send off and what that looks like. You can leave a legacy by writing your own life story, save your money and eliminate the financial burden on your family.

Follow Bare Cremation on TikTok for more conversations around life and death. 

If you’re thinking about end-of-life planning for yourself, you can learn more by visiting the Bare Cremation website here or calling 1800 202 901.

‍