What Happens to Our Online Lives After We Are Gone?

In today's digital era, every individual lives two lives; one in this physical world as a citizen of any country and another is inside the digital world as a nitizen. We struggle, learn and accumulate wealth in this physical world but have you ever thought what happens to your digital legacy once you are gone? It might sound strange but once you take a moment to think, you will also find it a serious question the world is facing today. Our social media accounts, financial accounts, data in clouds etc. Thinking about our online lives after we are gone may feel heavy but it is really important because our online life is now a part of who we are.

Digital legacy means everything that one has left online. It might be your Facebook or Instagram account where you uploaded endless memories, photos and videos or your documents in the cloud of Google Drive, iCloud or inside someother application. People write personal blogs, create websites and digital portfolios, few people constantly check their financial accounts like crypto wallets, PayPal or other banking apps. We take a subscription to get access primium containt we like or to get some digital facilities. Are these assets physical? Ofcouse no! And the best thing is, those digital assets mostly hidden behind passwords and encryption or under some kind of privacy policies that make almost impossible to access or manage them after one's death.

Digital legacy matters because it connects to both our family and future like for families these online memories can become treasures such as our old photos, messages and videos may comfort loved ones who miss us. At the same time accounts left unmanaged can become unsafe because there is a chance hackers may misuse them or private information may get exposed so planning before time keeps these digital assets safe and also helps families know what to do instead of being confused or stressed.

Managing digital legacy does not mean you need to be a tech expert but it starts with small steps like people can make a list of their important accounts and share it with someone they trust. Some websites allow you to choose what should happen to your account if you pass away. For example a family member may be able to keep photos or close the account and writing clear instructions in a will or note makes things easier for everyone.

Thinking about digital legacy is not about fear but it is about care because by making a plan we show love for our family and respect for our own life story. We make sure that our memories are safe and our personal details are protected because it gives us peace knowing that nothing will be left unmanaged. Just like cleaning our home or organizing our cupboard setting up a digital legacy is a way to keep things simple for the future.

In this digital time we live, coexist, hustle and update memories online and the truth is our online life is no longer detached from ourselves. An online world that many of us consider temporary has the potential to carry our information long even after we are gone. Intimate messages to people and photo galleries to bank accounts and who knows the diverse range of personal records that the online world holds might be worth as much as one's physical legacy. So it is the time to think about our online life as it also a part of our story.