Our online footprints will outlive us all

Sharon Hartung, author of Your Digital Undertaker, says because the world has gone digital, so have our estates.

“Everyone needs a will and in the information age your estate now includes your entire digital life and footprint,” Hartung explains on her website. “This is the first book of its kind that draws the reader into the world of estate planning with a digital twist, bringing the two worlds together.”

Hartung adds this book is written for any adult who shares information on social media, surfs the web or uses email. Vancouver-based Hartung points out that because the world has gone digital, so have our estates.

Hartung, a former military officer and tech executive, shares what she’s learned about the estate planning industry and the taboo topic of preparing for one’s own death — something we here at Your Everlasting Words highly encourage.

Hartung uses humour to explore death in the digital age in Canada and explains that preparing for the end “doesn’t need to be scary or foreboding. It can actually be liberating and energizing.” And I couldn’t agrre more, which is why I started offering living legacy/obituary services.

Hartung explains you can tackle the job of getting your digital affairs in order through a project management approach and digital lens. This exploration includes simple diagrams, easy to understand scenarios, and user options that require only a couple of mouse clicks.

“You’ll learn your digital life is not isolated from your physical life, as technology is the new player at the estate planning table,” writes Hartung. “Cracking the code to digital death and its afterlife requires deciphering the code for your regular and physical life. By the end of this book, you should feel armed with questions and a perspective on how to tackle your digital life in the context of your overall estate.”

Hartung adds, if you’re named executor in a will or appointed Power of Attorney for a loved one, “this book is for you as it might motivate you to ask a lot more questions about your role before you get handed ‘digital hell in a hand basket.’”

Hartung suggest anyone having challenging conversations with their parents, family members or clients, should let Your Digital Undertaker ask some of the basic questions for you and open the door for a meaningful discussion.

About the author

Sharon Hartung, Captain (Ret’d), PEng, TEP, is the founder of Your Digital Undertaker which provides Digital Executor® consulting for advisors and clients on the tech management aspects of digital assets in estate planning. Sharon is also author of the newly released Digital Executor®: Unraveling the New Path for Estate Planning (2021).