Home Anty-Climax Even after we pop our clogs, we can live forever online

Even after we pop our clogs, we can live forever online

0

Here’s a cheerful thought: Every minute, three Facebook users worldwide kick the bucket. Go bung. Pop their clogs. Put on a pine overcoat.

And what happens then to those Facebook accounts, since the users won’t need it where they’re going? Indeed, what happens to all of those accounts for social engagement, email, online dating and online gaming?

Many of the major sites have policies for handling accounts after the user has passed away. Facebook, for instance, allows the surviving family to delete, deactivate, download or memorialise the departed’s account — assuming the family has the username and password.

Lifeinsurancefinder.com offers an extensive, interactive look at what happens online after you die. The bottom line is that your cyber-self can outlive you, for better or worse, for a immeasurably long time (Europe observed this phenomenon earlier this month with Digital Death Day).

Frankly, when we pause to wax theological about the afterlife, a Twitter thread isn’t what we have in mind. We’d rather every trace of our existence online switch off the moment we slip beyond the veil. Cash in our chips. Assume room temperature …

Image by The Tim


Produced by Life Insurance Finder