Death glitches – such an interesting topic. That tension between the desire to memorialise and erase a person's digital presence. It's got be thinking about the right to be forgotten that was building steam around 2014.
Obviously we have the Data Protection Act in the UK (GDPR in the EU), which covers personal data collected by search engines, websites and companies. But these traces of ourselves extend far beyond (Tamara Kneese's thoughts about "communicative traces" on social media). Some people think of our contributions as connective tissue, which is a good analogy.
Data feels so atomised on the internet, I am wondering how you would be able to fully opt out of the collective online memory. The logistical challenges of dealing provisions in different jurisdictions. In reality, we may just have to wait for the technology to become obsolete, so we fade away like an old photo out in the open. Or we tread more carefully, tidying up as we go ;)
If I was able to assume control of everything I have contributed to the internet, would I ask for it to be deleted in my will? Probably not. Even the smattering of embarrassing early scribbles, dodgy photos, earnest comments or cringe opening Bumble lines. Let's call it my cultural donation to the world. If it leads to posthumous fame/infamy … so be it. Sorry, mum and dad.
Amar, you make so many good points. And when I first started to think about this, the problem became more and more complex. At first it is easy to think that a tech-bro approach of thinking this can be "solved" with a little button here or an additional screen there is obvious, but what this book makes so clear is that the messiness of our lives stands in opposition to that mindset!
I like your question of opting out of the collective online memory. I think this is so much of an issue of younger people who have grown up in an environment where social media has been a constant presence...
The irony is that there have multiple digital death and memorial startups but they almost all failed or went bust after a years. There just isn't the money or sense of urgency out there to make it a viable business !!
I didn't know that about the memorial start-ups. More pressing issues among the young ones, I guess. Like jobs, rent, living a full enough life to have something worthwhile to memorialise.
BTW I read something interesting in The Economist the other day regarding healthcare. "Four in ten 18- to 24-year-olds have used the private sector for things such as appointments with doctors, scans and diagnostics."
Death glitches – such an interesting topic. That tension between the desire to memorialise and erase a person's digital presence. It's got be thinking about the right to be forgotten that was building steam around 2014.
Obviously we have the Data Protection Act in the UK (GDPR in the EU), which covers personal data collected by search engines, websites and companies. But these traces of ourselves extend far beyond (Tamara Kneese's thoughts about "communicative traces" on social media). Some people think of our contributions as connective tissue, which is a good analogy.
Data feels so atomised on the internet, I am wondering how you would be able to fully opt out of the collective online memory. The logistical challenges of dealing provisions in different jurisdictions. In reality, we may just have to wait for the technology to become obsolete, so we fade away like an old photo out in the open. Or we tread more carefully, tidying up as we go ;)
If I was able to assume control of everything I have contributed to the internet, would I ask for it to be deleted in my will? Probably not. Even the smattering of embarrassing early scribbles, dodgy photos, earnest comments or cringe opening Bumble lines. Let's call it my cultural donation to the world. If it leads to posthumous fame/infamy … so be it. Sorry, mum and dad.
Amar, you make so many good points. And when I first started to think about this, the problem became more and more complex. At first it is easy to think that a tech-bro approach of thinking this can be "solved" with a little button here or an additional screen there is obvious, but what this book makes so clear is that the messiness of our lives stands in opposition to that mindset!
I like your question of opting out of the collective online memory. I think this is so much of an issue of younger people who have grown up in an environment where social media has been a constant presence...
The irony is that there have multiple digital death and memorial startups but they almost all failed or went bust after a years. There just isn't the money or sense of urgency out there to make it a viable business !!
I didn't know that about the memorial start-ups. More pressing issues among the young ones, I guess. Like jobs, rent, living a full enough life to have something worthwhile to memorialise.
BTW I read something interesting in The Economist the other day regarding healthcare. "Four in ten 18- to 24-year-olds have used the private sector for things such as appointments with doctors, scans and diagnostics."
https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/01/08/britains-health-care-system-looks-rather-as-it-did-in-the-1930s