Social Media Accounts, Life After Death
What happens after you die? One of the most existential questions of all time takes on a whole new meaning when you add technology to the mix.
With the recent untimely passing of Heavy D and the profusion of re-tweets of his final tweet –‘Be Inspired’ — the obvious addendum to this question now becomes “what happens to your online identity when you die?”
Think about it: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Google+, etc., etc. When you add up the number of online accounts you have, totals could reach the double digits very quickly. And even beyond just social media, you have online bank and credit card accounts, PayPal, and online music and shopping accounts as well.
According to Famecount.com, a tally of new Twitter followers per week for Heavy D jumped from 1,353 on November 7th, the day before his death, to 41,729 on November 10th.
So while it’s clear that his memory and legacy will continue to live online, is that what you want for yourself or your loved ones? Keep in mind that the privacy policies of each online account you have might protect you while you’re alive, but once you’re gone, the administration of your personal information is at the discretion of the site itself. What, if anything, can you do to ensure that your online identity doesn’t last into eternity?
Read the rest of this article on The Grio
Category: Featured, social media | Tags: Death, facebook, google, heavy d, social media, the grio, twitter
