BOULDER, Colo. – A new clinic at the University of Colorado Boulder is helping people preserve their digital presence, including social media accounts, so their loved ones can still access them even when they are no longer alive.

“One of the biggest problems when it comes to problems at the end of technology is that people don’t know what to do. They don’t even know where to start,” said Jed Brubaker, associate professor of information science at CU Boulder. “They know they have a problem, but they don’t know what the next step is. And this is where we can intervene.”

Brubaker founded the Digital Legacy Clinic, which helps people navigate the technological unknowns that can come with managing their own digital presence or that of a loved one.

“The average internet user has over 190 accounts and produces over 850 gigs of data per year. And that’s just a lot of information,” Brubaker explained. “When we think about how life has become digital, these are our photos, these are messages to loved ones, these are our diaries and our scrapbooks and our personal history. And I think it’s really important that we don’t let that be forgotten or lost.”

A group of 12 undergraduate and graduate students are already busy helping people with concerns. Senior Josie Mahoney works with the clinic to help people understand the need to preserve their information.

Maggy Wolanske

“I have actually lost loved ones who have died and they still have their comments on my Instagram. And it’s so nice to be able to go back and say, ‘Okay, they commented on that’ and see. Nice.” “It’s actually a forever memorial wall…it’s a lot more important than people really emphasize,” Mahoney said.

When people think about their time spent online, they may not realize how many accounts have been created for email, gaming, and social media sites. The Digital Legacy Clinic can help with this.

“We have a number of really interesting tickets about what people want to remember, retain or download,” Mahoney explained. “So we can just go through it again, do our own research and figure out how to remember the account, delete it, or whatever you want to do, and then we can just walk you through it.”

Rory O’Flynn, a Digital Legacy Clinic student, designed the website page and expressed the need for this technological support.

“I think it’s the fact that it’s going to affect everyone. Everyone will be dealing with the fact that someone has died or died themselves, and the data will be left behind,” she said.

This dedicated group is committed to helping more people and simplifying the process for others, whether it’s creating a digital end-of-life plan or accessing a loved one’s digital accounts.

“The more, the better. Come get help,” Brubaker said.