What to do with your Parent’s Facebook After they Die

Some people are very upfront with their wishes when they die, most don’t really share much with or think about it. Who wants to think about their death? For those that do have the “talk” with their parents a lot of things are discussed like burial or cremation, living wills, and Do Not Resuscitate orders, etc… One thing though that is rarely even thought about is what to do with your parents online footprint. Do they use twitter, Facebook, emails, etc… So let’s take a moment to explore.

First you should probably establish what accounts they have. Then figure out what is important and what is useless. Think about that for a moment, your Facebook account contains some of your most treasured moments captured in still digital pixels and typography. Funny quips and life trips, interactions with friends and family alike.

Now that you have established the list and hopefully learned a little bit more about your parents social media life we can start the next step. Focus on each service however we will focus on Facebook as the primary example. We all probably know someone who passed away and their Facebook profile is still sitting untouched, notifying you when there birthday is, sometimes even inviting you to interact with them. To some this can be a disturbing reminder of a friend lost.

So let’s look at the options. First and foremost the best thing to do is use a service like LastPass to have your parents store all their logins for websites then share the master password with you or the executor of their will.

Focusing on Facebook we see their are three options when someone dies. Memorializing the account, deleting the account, or downloading the contents of the account.

1. Memorializing > This method method leaves the profile up with all its photos and posts however it disables notifiers and other options of including the “person” in interactions. Basically letting Facebook and other users know this person has passed. This is a great idea for letting future generations learn more intimately about their relative, to experience their joys, and mundane day to day discussions.

2. Deleting the account > Perhaps you don’t feel comfortable with the information out their so deleting the account is an option. To do this option you must notify Facebook and they will verify the information and remove the account.

3. Downloading the information then deleting. Facebook will provide the posts, photos, etc.. in a digital download then will remove the profile.

Just like funeral arrangements can be hard, trying to figure out your parents digital social media wishes can be a challenge (or fight) between siblings. It’s better to find out from your parents their wishes now so you can honor them.

At Trinity we provide FREE funeral planning and can discuss further how to take care of all your wishes, even those digital.

Call today (423) 723-8177 for a FREE private consultation.