Resisting the Grave: Memorialisation in Cyberspace

The digital presence of the deceased in online spaces has prompted discussions on the emotional impact, ownership of digital data, and the ethical dilemmas associated with posthumous digital data utilisation. This research delves into the multifaceted landscape of individuals’ online legacies, examining the processes of archiving the self in preparation for death, challenges with authenticity emerging in the digital afterlife, and the desire for a definitive closure of one's digital existence. Ethical concerns surrounding posthumous digital data usage and its implications on the grieving process have intensified. This study aims to comprehensively understand how individuals navigate issues of death, grief, and the digital legacy they leave behind, particularly in the context of virtual memorial spaces. Employing an interview-based approach, this research investigates the perceptions and experiences of social media users as they grapple with the interplay of mortality and online presence granted by personal digital data. By exploring the vernacular of virtual memorial spaces, the study offers valuable insights into the ethical dilemmas tied to posthumous digital data and proposes potential strategies to address these concerns from the perspective of the individual user. This research contributes to the fields of digital death and dying and continuing bonds, shedding light on the evolving dynamics of how individuals forge connections with the departed in a digitally mediated environment. This study therefore addresses research questions of how virtual memorials are emerging as a novel mode of memorialisation and how online memorial spaces transform notions of space and embodiment. By examining these questions, the research provides insight into the archival guidance granted by social medias, concerns regarding the authenticity of one’s digital legacy, and the right to digital erasure. This research contributes to an enriched understanding of the interplay between mortality, digital legacies, and the evolving nature of social connections in an online era.