PexelsOne in four young people want their ashes compressed into a trendy vinyl record, it has been revealed in a new survey with a focus on the morbid.
Researchers who carried out a detailed study also found the ‘selfie generation’ – those under the age of 25 sometimes called the iGen – are twice as likely to want a gravestone as the over-55s.
However one in three of the more modest older generation are happy to have no lasting memorial when they shuffle off this mortal coil.
Meanwhile, nearly half of young people who said they’d prefer to be cremated would like their ashes made into a diamond.
The study was carried out by Simplicity Cremations and spokesman Mark Hull said:
The way we want to be remembered is changing radically. Older people are certainly moving away from traditional memorials, partly because of practical reasons such as cost and the need for upkeep.
But also because they believe their friends or loved ones don’t need a physical memorial to remember them in the same way as before.
Younger generations are certainly looking for more creative and physical ways to be remembered, which is surprising as most of their lives will be lived in the digital world.
It also emerged one in four under-25s would like their ashes to be used to generate electricity, compared to just four per cent of over-55s.
When it comes to the older age groups the study found just three per cent want their loved ones to keep their ashes at home in an urn.
And the majority will shun the idea of a gravestone with just 16 per cent liking the idea of a marker to indicate where they are buried.
Hull added:
The change in preferences coincides with the significant shift in funeral demands indicated by a huge rise in the number of people interested in direct cremations over the past few years.
The important thing to recognise here is that people now have many modern choices and they are less likely to be bound by the social ties to tradition.
Either way, cremation is definitely one of the most affordable ways to go, when you go.
Costs usually run between $600 and $3,000, which are significantly lower than the average full-service funeral that averages around $10,000 today.
Cost is also one of the big reasons why the popularity of cremation is soaring – and the musical opportunities it offers apparently.
Now – pardon the inelegant pun – one question remains: Which song do you pick? You could go for a classic to say your goodbyes and be remembered every time your loved ones bring out the Crossley.
Perhaps Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler will do the trick to get the waterworks going full stream, or maybe Robbie Williams’ Angels?
Or you could remind your bereaved relatives it’s not all bad in your absence with Eric Idle and Monty Python’s Always Look On the Bright Side of Life.
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A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.