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In the digital age, almost everyone leaves behind a footprint – mostly, in the shape of social media posts, WhatsApp messages or voice notes. All these preserve aspects of people’s personalities and are thus able to have a real impact on whoever comes across them.

A YouTube video series by Jubilee, which clocks up between eight million and nine million views, explores just that: texts from people who have passed away, and the reaction of those who read them.

While some participants simply read out the last texts they sent or received to a loved one, others can be seen playing the saved voicemails left on their answering machine.

One participant texts her deceased friend – for her, a beautiful way to grieve and to reach out to someone she loves but isn’t there, in the physical world, anymore. 

Some people’s attitude towards their dead loved ones’ social media content suggests that, by looking at their old posts, they feel as if the person was still there but had not been online for a while.

21-century grief? The approach is certainly a good reflection of the world that we live in. Where there were once old photographs and hand-written letters, there are now Instagram pictures and TikTok videos.

Under the titles ‘Texts from the deceased’ and ‘Texts from loved ones’, the are some truly emotional stories of digital grief.

A man whose friend had died from a heart attack while sleeping spoke about the messages the two exchanged shortly before her death. He had messaged her saying: “You know I’m here for you any time that you need me.” She replied: “Right back at you!”

One participant was in an early-morning writing class when he saw something through the window that he wanted to take a photo of.

Surrounded by his classmates, he was too embarrassed to stand up and do it. Instead, he texted his photography teacher to tell her about the situation, to which she responded: “It doesn’t matter how other people feel. Just take the shot!”

She died soon after, that having been their last interaction… one that deeply resonated with the student.

A woman who used to call her grandmother every day misses her so dearly since she passed away that she has resorted to texting her, even though she knows no one will read those messages.

As a way to express her sorrow, she sent this to the old phone number: “I wrote a speech about how amazing you are and how you made me who I am unsued. When I’m home alone I sit and cry and think about all the things that I could’ve done with you and should’ve done but I was way too selfish to spend more time with you.

“I want you here but I know that you can’t be, so just know I love you so so much, more than words can describe.”

The final text from a mother to her son read “we need to talk”. He opened it but didn’t reply on the spot. When he got back to her the next day, it was too late.

He didn’t see his mother much — she struggled with alcohol and drugs — but treasures a voicemail where she says she will be finishing school soon: “One more year, that’s it, just hold on. I love you son.”

That was the last time his mother spoke to him, and he is glad it is recorded so he can replay it as often as needed.

A father’s battle with cancer robbed him of his ability to speak. On one of his final days, as his daughter was walking out of his room, she received a text message from him: “Hi Taylor, thank you for being there for me, it means a lot to me. Love you.”

The power of text…

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