Overview
"Your Social media will People should leave clear instructions about what should happen to their social media, computer games and other online accounts after their death, according to the law society "
– The Law Society (UK)
“If you have social media profiles set up online, you should create a statement of how you would like your online identity to be handled. Just like a traditional will helps your survivors handle your physical belongings, a social media will spells out how you want your online identity to be handled”.
– USA Government Blog
Social Media Will (Guide)
Both the USA government and the UK Law Society agree that we should make plans for our 'digital assets' by 'writing a social media will'. By doing so we can help make our passing easier on those left behind from both emotional and financial reasons.
McAfee released a survey that found global consumers placed an average value of more than $37,000 on their digital assets (the value was even higher in the U.S. at nearly $55,000).
Getting your 'Social Media Will' in order and protecting your digital legacy
You can write you 'Social Media Will' and start addressing your digital legacy by following the steps and reading the tutorials below.
- Free Social Media Will Template
Download our free 'Social Media Will Template' (Excel template) and complete. Once completed keep your social media will in a safe place. There are links to a range a free tutorials to help you with this process below.
Download our free 'Social Media Will Template' by clicking here
- Prepare
Below are a range of tutorials to help you think about and prepare your social media will. You may wish to read those that are relevant to you and the services you use.
Tutorials to help you when writing your Social Media Will
- Computer & Laptops Guide
- Tablets (iPads, Kindles etc) Guide
- External Hard Drive Guide
- Creating an Ethical Will (videos)
- Websites & Blogs Guide
- Your Money
- Review
Each platform (like Facebook, Amazon, eBay etc) have their own ‘terms of service’ (TOS). These need to be followed by each user. The TOS for each platform has to differ due to the different services that they all provide. It is important for all of us to understand the main areas surrounding each platform’s terms of service. We have provided these in relation to end of life for the main social networks. We have also outlined a number of resources and tutorials that you may want to follow both now and in the future to help make life easier on those left behind.
Downloading and bakcing up your media (when writing your Social Media Will)
- Pass down your passwords
It is important to find a suitable a way and secure way for you to pass down your important passwords. These may be to access your computer, mobile phone, internet sites, bank account, PayPal account etc. To learn more read our passing on your passwords tutorial.
- Decide how you would like to be remembered
Have an influence in the stories, books, family history and phhotos that form your legacy. Make sure that these are spoken about, shared and documented when possible. You may want to say "goodbye" through different mediums and in different ways. One such way is by using our free 'legacy builder tool'.
Telling your life-story and passing down your family history
- Creating your 'Ethical Will'
- Design your own Coat of Arms
- Tagging your physical photos
- Organ donation legacy
- Building your legacy
Everyones life and subsequent 'social media will' is different, this is because we each live different lives, utilise online platforms and invest differing amounts of time into each. Therefore how the importance of our social media will differs for each person.
You may be interested in viewing our practical guides addressing the most commonly used hardware and services. These range from Facebook and Twitter to blogs, tablets and mobile phones
Once completed, print out your Social Media Will and keep it in a safe place (offline)