[3] In 1997, Carla Sofka, Professor of Social Work, in her article 'Social support "Internetworks," caskets for sale, and more: Thanatology and the information superhighway',[4] recognized the increasing use of this new form of memorialisation.
[5] In the 2000s, with the development of social media platforms and simplified website creation software, the numbers of individual online memorials has increased rapidly.
Online memorials allow participation in the grieving process from a distance and at any time of the day or night; in the view of some sociologists, such public displays of grief are important for emotional recovery after bereavement.
Availability of inexpensive or free online space allows grievers to include extensive content such as stories and discussions.
[14] Online memorials are sometimes used to collect in memoriam donations to charitable or non-profit organizations, to fund medical research, hospices, or community activities and hobbies in which the deceased participated.