Whatever you post on the internet stays there forever, so they say, which is why people are increasingly not only planning funerals and inheritances, but also their posthumous digital legacies. 

A person’s online presence after they pass on is often most visible in two arenas: the continuation of their social media accounts, and the creation of web pages that act as an interactive obituary where loved ones can post comments.

“In recent years, the ways people choose to remember deceased family members and friends has changed,” said Ruth Sheridan, director of supportive care at St. Christopher’s Hospice in London. “Trips to the cemetery are replaced by online memorials and social media sites which can be updated regularly and accessed freely.”

With the number of Americans older than 65 projected to outnumber children in 15 years for the first time in the nation’s history and Facebook users of that vintage among the website’s fastest-growing age groups, the issue is sure to gain steam.

Underscoring the phenomenon, a recent study found that in 50 years, the number of dead Facebook users will outnumber accounts held by the living — assuming the social media website is still around in a half century. 

The study, Are the Dead Taking Over Facebook? A Big Data Approach to the Future of Death Online, raised important questions about how a dead person’s sensitive private information should be handled — and who should have access — after the person can no longer control the account. 

“An exclusively commercial approach to data preservation poses important ethical and political risks that demand urgent consideration,” researchers Carl J Öhman and David Watson wrote. “We call for a scalable, sustainable, and dignified curation model that incorporates the interests of multiple stakeholders.”

As for parts of the web intended for the dead, some social media pages are specifically set up to memorialize lost loved ones. Legacy.com has grown into a Facebook-sized obituary website, acquiring competitors while allowing more and more well-wishers to share memories alongside death notices and photos of those who’ve passed.

Of course, the idea that everything stays on the internet forever is a myth. It’s often a graveyard of dead links. But it’s nonetheless important to ensure loved ones can access your social media accounts after you die so the records can be properly preserved or destroyed, whichever is the final wish.

The holidays can be a stressful time of year for everyone, but those who feel the most stressed out during the most wonderful time of year are local women under 50, according to a new poll.

Sixty one percent of females in that age group reported their stress level is high or very high, a Truth in Medicine poll of New York Metro area found. That’s compared to non-holiday periods when 26 percent reported having high stress and 5 percent who reported their stress is very high. And 46 percent of those polled overall reporting high or very high levels of holiday-induced anxiety.

“Women seem to take the brunt of preparations during the holidays and it shows in the increased stress levels they are reporting,” said Dr. Adhi Sharma, Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside. “Everybody reacts to stress in different ways. However, stress can be dangerous when it impacts our daily life for long periods of time.”

The Mount Sinai South Nassau Truth in Medicine Poll, sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union, is a quarterly survey of 600 Long Island and New York City residents conducted by LJR Custom Strategies over landlines and cell phones between Nov. 6 and 11.

Finances and family were the two top causes of stress cited by those polled. Twenty-five percent rated debt and financial concerns associated with the holidays as stress-inducing and 20 percent said family issues raised their stress levels. When asked to choose the top three out of five reasons for holiday stress, a plurality of respondents said all factors — finances, family, overscheduling, shopping, and overeating — cause stress.

“Chronic and long-term stress can have an adverse effect on your health,” said Dr. Aaron E. Glatt, MD, Chair of the Department of Medicine. “Talk to your loved ones about ways to make the holidays more enjoyable and less stressful. It can be as simple as asking other family members to contribute a dish to a family gathering so all the cooking doesn’t fall on one person.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s December 2018 Holiday Health and Safety Tips also recommend managing stress by “balancing work, home, and play” and “getting support from family and friends.” The American Psychological Association recommends managing expectations during the holidays to reduce stress and feel happier now and healthier in the long term. 

Coping mechanisms vary. While 61 percent of women under 50 exercise and 54 percent turn to friends to relieve stress, one in five use alcohol or drugs. Just 6 percent of area adults have sought counseling to help deal with stress, while 9 percent have considered counseling, with the key impediments being cost and time.

Poll results vary by race and other demographic indicators like whether or not residents live in the New York City or Long Island. As was the case with all women 50 and under surveyed, both black men and women respondents in the same age group reported very high or high stress levels around the holidays.

Retirement appears to alleviate a significant amount of stress. The least stressed demographic polled are respondents 65 and older who are retired or choose not to work. This was the only subgroup to not report an increase in stress as the holidays approach.

“At some point in our lives, everyone can use a little extra support in dealing with life’s challenges, especially around the holidays,” said Janet Kahn-Scolaro, LCSWR, PhD, Administrative Director of Behavioral Health and Family Medicine Services at Mount Sinai South Nassau. “When this is not enough, I cannot state enough the importance of speaking with a licensed professional who can help you understand your moods and behaviors and help you cope when life’s stresses become overwhelming.”