"You have new notifications"

My cousin died the other day. I know because it was posted on Facebook.

It used to be that you would learn of the death of a friend or a family member from another friend or family member- a phone call was most common. Sometimes you might hear the news in person, if the deceased were especially close to you, so that the one delivering the message would be there, to offer you comfort.

Now, I learned of my cousin’s death in a post that was sandwiched between a cartoon pun and a sponsored ad for online learning.

Page down for pictures of a Friend’s latest restaurant meal and some ads to subscribe to the New York Times.

Such are the Times we live in.