The Creation and Inheritance of Digital Afterlives

Más información sobre el libro

This book examines how social networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp inadvertently foster the creation of digital afterlives and their impact on the bereaved. Debra J. Bassett provides a comprehensive analysis, utilizing qualitative data from three participant groups: service providers, digital creators, and digital inheritors. For those grieving, issues such as data loss, lack of control, and digital obsolescence can lead to a phenomenon termed 'the fear of second loss.' Bassett posits that digital afterlives challenge traditional grief theories, advocating for their expansion to include digital inheritance. This interdisciplinary work appeals to sociologists, cyber psychologists, philosophers, death scholars, and grief counselors, while also serving as a warning regarding the emerging Digital Afterlife Industry (DAI) and its pursuit to monetize the deceased. The book highlights the significant effects of uncontrolled posthumous messages and the emergence of thanabots on the bereaved. Bassett introduces the concept of a Digital Do Not Reanimate (DDNR) order and a voluntary code of conduct, potentially beneficial for the DAI. Ultimately, it prompts reflection on mortality and the deeper question of who truly desires eternal life.