No matter the medium, I love an excellent story and I especially appreciate a surprise ending.
The other night I watched an episode of the popular Netflix series Black Mirror https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/70264888.
It’s a sci-fi series that involves a lot of speculative fiction and satire. The episodes are often shocking, thought provoking, and I’m never disappointed.
The recent episode I watched was entitled “Smithereens”. The premise involves a character whose life is affected by the world’s obsession with social media, a personal tragedy, and his own need to be heard.
During the episode we meet the mother of a young college aged girl who committed suicide. She doesn’t know why her daughter killed herself and there’s no letter left saying goodbye.
We learn the powers that be will not provide passwords for the dead girl’s computer to provide closure for the mother. Instead, she tries a new password daily and then is locked out. Every twenty-four hours she gets one shot to guess at the password that will allow access into her daughter’s hidden world.
The show is well done and should serve as a reminder to all to record your passwords somewhere.
You need not share them but put them somewhere they can be found in the case of an emergency. Perhaps, send them via snail-mail in a sealed envelope to your Auntie, to a cousin, or a co-worker.
If you change your passwords, send an update to your contact.
Your privacy is important—I totally respect that—but if you’re gone or incapacitated–access to your phone, computer and social media accounts could offer a lot of answers and help.
Just a thought…
Actually, just go do it now. Send your password to someone or write them in your address book or something…not online but on paper. What are you waiting for?
(photo sourced: google.com)
I did it. Sent my password to Curt, along with your article for context:) Thanks for this.
Smart! It’s just one of those things you don’t want to have others dealing with. xo
strongly agree with u
Thank You! Glad it resonated with you.
Excellent suggestion. Also, writers should have someone else on their writing business account in case something happens to them. And should keep a frequently updated list of all their helpers and/or clients (editors, designers, publishers or printers, co-writers, etc.). And someone with access to bookkeeping records (including taxes), whether online or paper. And a proper will, of course, with all that goes with that–including what happens to the writing part of the estate. Yep, we definitely don’t want our executor to be overwhelmed!
Yes Norma! Thank so much for the reminders. I’ve spoken to many people about this since this article was printed and there are horror stories of not being able to access computers etc. Such great tips. Thanks again.xo