Our thinking

Death in the digital age

26 November, 2020

From getting fit with Couch to 5k, to cutting back on waste with Olio, there’s no doubt that digital tools help us live better. But can they help us die better too? This week, two technological innovations caught our eye; both promising to help us navigate that most undiscovered of countries.  

Aura is a digital solution to help people better prepare for death. The loss of a loved one can already feel unbearable – but worrying about what kind of funeral they would have wanted or trying to piece together basic information about their finances and digital passwords adds even further to the burden. Yet, more than half of us in the UK don’t know our partner’s preferences around end of life care, and only 29% have told anyone their funeral wishes. Through Aura, users can do everything from uploading preferred funeral hymn sheets to leaving password-protected messages for loved ones, alongside recording practical details like insurance policies. Above all, the platform aims to “help you and those closest to you, discuss, manage and celebrate life and death”. 

And what about those left behind? Apart of Me is an app developed by grief experts to help young people struggling with bereavement. Users journey through a beautiful virtual world, completing quests to discover stories of love and loss from other bereaved young people around the world and learn evidence-based techniques, such as breathing exercises to manage overwhelming emotions.  

We might balk at the idea that our last words to our loved ones could be through a website, or that we need an app to teach children how to grieve. But as technology is so much a part of our lives, perhaps it’s time to make it part of our deaths too.  

By Sarah Howden