Digital Legacy: Keeping memories alive

1. What is a Digital Legacy?

Simply put, a digital legacy is a personal record for the purpose of providing remembrances for others. It can be in a variety of formats, and it can be for a variety of reasons.

Formats

Probably the best format is one that allows both voice and image. A video recorded digitally can allow future generations to see you as well as hear you. But some people prefer simple audio. In this book we’ll discuss the various ways in which you can produce your digital legacy, and the different formats that are available so that you can save it and keep it secure.

Reasons to Produce a Digital Legacy

One of the most common reasons somebody might produce a digital legacy is to make sure that, even in death, something of themselves remains for loved ones, and even future generations. Joe, a neighbor of mine, is eighty-seven years old and part of the great, but dwindling World War II generation. Joe fought in Italy during the war, earning a Bronze Star. He had never talked much about his war experiences, but as he began to approach his nineties―with three children, five grandchildren, and even three great-grandchildren―Joe began to realize that those stories were in danger of being lost forever, dying along with him. It suddenly became important for Joe to make sure there was some kind of record of his war experiences, and even a record of his life after the war.

Joe recorded a digital legacy, and now he knows that someday in the future, perhaps long after he’s gone, those grandchildren and great-grandchildren are going to be watching Joe and listening to him talk about his life in the war, about his life since the war, and about other thoughts and ideas that he felt were worth sharing with them. If you’ve ever wondered about your own grandparents, or great-grandparents, and wished you had a video of them in conversation, talking about the things that were important to them, then you know how important Joe’s digital legacy is going to be to future generations.

Of course you don’t have to be a World War II hero to leave something behind that future generations will find interesting. Many people have a great interest in their roots, and would be fascinated just to hear stories of how people in their family tree from long ago lived, what they thought about, what kinds of things mattered to them, and what life in general was like for them. Doing a digital legacy is a way of preserving history.

But a digital legacy doesn’t have to be a record of one’s life for miscellaneous future generations. You might want to leave a digital legacy behind for very specific people, saying very specific things to them―your spouse, for example, or your children. Many people record a digital legacy with no greater goal than merely telling their family how much they have loved them and what they have meant in their lives. And when you stop and think about it, this might be the best reason of all to produce a digital legacy!

You might also want to consider producing a digital legacy of yourself for legal reasons. Perhaps you want to make sure that your final instructions are carried out precisely as you want them, or that your last will and testament is interpreted in no uncertain terms. You’ll want to consult with your attorney of course, but video evidence of your intentions could prove very beneficial to those you leave behind.

Sooner, Rather than Later!

When people think of the idea of creating a message to leave behind, they naturally think of it as something they’ll do when they’re much older―when they’re in their nineties in a nursing home, or when they might find themselves one day on their deathbeds after a long, courageous fight with some deadly disease. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always work out so neatly and predictably. If you’re thinking that someday you’ll record your digital legacy, you might want to give serious consideration to the idea of getting your thoughts recorded sooner, rather than later. You’ll gain peace of mind knowing that if something terrible and sudden should happen, your digital legacy message will be ready and available for your loved ones.

Memories of Others

Of course a digital legacy need not just be a recording of you. You might want to consider recording a digital legacy of your