Are you afraid to die?

I think everyone is in some way or another. For most of us, we fear losing the connections with our loved ones.

Death, as you probably know, causes problems for things like making memories with your friends and family, following your life’s dreams, and posting on Facebook or Twitter about your day.

Actually, scratch that last one.

Yep, that’s right. Now you can continue trolling your friends from the other side through DeadSocial, a free application that can make posts on the behalf of our dearly departed.

According to the homepage, DeadSocial allows a user to submit scheduled messages on his or her Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts for future posts after passing away. The app can be used to send posts regarding anniversaries or birthdays, or may post simple messages at various times.

The founder of the program, James Norris, believes his app gives people the opportunity to say their final goodbyes, according to an article by Heather Kelly of CNN.

“It really allows you to be creative and literally extend the personality you had while alive in death,” Norris said.

I’m so happy to hear this, considering that I’ve grown so attached to my Facebook that I, too, plan to post my final words and tag all my friends with them. And since my ego is so obscenely massive already, I want people to keep giving me my daily doses of unnecessary attention even when I’m gone.

I mean, what kind of bullshit afterlife would it be if you die knowing your Facebook and Twitter accounts will soon become obsolete?

Senior sociology major Alex Hitzeman thinks DeadSocial is a bit too creepy for his taste.

“I think it would make the process of getting over a death harder if you had to read posts about them even though there dead,” Hitzeman said.

True that, Hitzeman. Hell, why would I force my friends and family to face the truth that I really am buried 6 feet under in my finest suit when DeadSocial can make it seem like I’m almost still alive? If you ask me, it’s about time we started perpetuating our denial of death.

Now, thanks to Norris, we can, and we can do it for free.

Despite the good intentions of Norris’s application, Hitzeman remained skeptical.

“I think the whole social media thing may just be getting a little too ridiculous,” Hitzeman said.

I wonder what makes him say that. But in all seriousness, folks, he’s got a point. I understand why people may look at DeadSocial or similar apps (If I Die and _LivesOn) and see a glimmer of hope and comfort in the wake of losing loved ones, but I don’t think that’s the right way to find comfort.

I’m not saying I won’t give my Facebook password to my buddies when I kick the bucket so they can post complaints about the tightness of my coffin, but I think we need to step back and ask if online immortality is a good idea or not.