Why it matters
A few things worth thinking about, from research and from the world around us. Every figure below links to its original source.
1 in 6
people worldwide are affected by loneliness
The WHO Commission on Social Connection reported in June 2025 that around 16% of people worldwide experience loneliness, and that it is most common among adolescents and younger people.
Sometimes a message is a small way of reminding someone that they matter.
World Health Organization, Commission on Social Connection — 30 June 2025 Read source
91%
of children said conversations come more easily without phones
In the vivo Switch Off Study 2025 — 1,517 smartphone owners across eight Indian cities, conducted by CyberMedia Research — 91% of the children surveyed said conversations feel easier and more meaningful when phones are kept aside.
Some things deserve more than a passing message.
vivo Switch Off Study 2025, India — published 11 December 2025 Read source
33%
of bereaved families regretted not talking about death enough
In one study of 678 bereaved families of cancer patients cared for at 133 inpatient hospices in Japan, 224 (33%) regretted not having talked about death sufficiently. Only 5.9% regretted having talked about it.
Some conversations are difficult to start. Writing can give them a beginning.
Mori et al., Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2017 — peer-reviewed Read source
₹8,973.89 crore
in unclaimed insurance was outstanding with insurers in India
Reported by the Ministry of Finance as on 28 February 2026. Money goes unclaimed for many reasons — often simply because nobody knew a policy existed or where to look for it.
Important information can be difficult for families to find when nobody knows where to look.
Ministry of Finance, Government of India — PIB, 24 March 2026 Read source
In May 2026, a court in Gandhinagar granted a daughter letters of administration over her late father's iPhone and Apple ID/iCloud account, holding that digital data forms part of the deceased's estate, and directed Apple to assist in recovering the data. This is one decision by one court, not a general rule for every digital asset in India.
Photos, videos, documents and other digital memories can become important to families after someone is gone.
Sadhna Shaishav Shah v. NIL, 2026 SCC OnLine Dis Crt (Guj) 1 — decided 5 May 2026 Read source
MyWishLetter is not a legal will and does not replace professional estate planning. It also cannot recover unclaimed money for anyone — it is a place to write down what matters, so the people who need to know can find it.
For how your letters are stored and what we deliberately do not claim about them, see security.
Behind every number above is someone who wished they had said something. It takes about a minute, and it is free to start.
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