Virtual afterlife

Every so often, mankind comes face to face with his mortality. Beyond thoughts of what awaits them in the afterlife, (which of course vary according to their religious beliefs or lack thereof), many persons find themselves preoccupied with thoughts on how and when exactly they will make the transition to the Great Beyond. No doubt the majority would prefer to go quietly in their beds in the twilight of their life, having made their peace with the world and their Maker and having put all their affairs in order. However, the unfortunate reality is that no one knows the day or the hour when they will leave this Earth. We could therefore wax philosophical about the need to live each day like it’s the last, but that is not the focus of today’s discourse. Rather, we are motivated by more mundane concerns that have arisen as our way of life continues to be transformed by the evolution of technology.

We are smack dab in the middle of the Internet Age and as such, social networks have become part and parcel of our lives. We use them as a medium of exchanging our thoughts and ideas; as a repository of mementos; and for many other personalised activities. The more we use them, the more we infuse them with the essence of ourselves, so much so that we may reveal even more of ourselves online than we do face to face. It’s no wonder then that through social networking, there has been an increased blurring between the virtual and real world. For many, their social media profile is simply an extension of themselves; just another avenue for persons to get to know them.

Ostensibly, this is why the news of a friend’s sudden death can see persons writing on the deceased’s Facebook timeline or by mentioning them in a tweet with a message of disbelief, sadness or farewell. For those ‘social media holdouts’ who either do not participate or are not as heavily immersed as others in that world, it can seem odd and even illogical for persons to maintain this type of interaction and address the deceased person as though they were still alive. This relatively new phenomenon has elicited a variety of reactions. Some frown upon the practice as being attention-seeking on the part of the mourner; others believe that mourners find comfort in saying a last goodbye to the person, even if only to their virtual presence. However, another perspective is that reading such messages can be a source of comfort to grieving family members and loved ones.

Wherever one stands on the practice, it is a reality of our modern age and already there are a number of companies, mainly in the US and Europe, which have seen this as a business niche to be explored, as they offer to wind up social network accounts on the behalf of an authorised family member. One company is even offering to post a final tweet or Facebook update after one’s demise!

Of course, there are legal considerations in all this. No doubt many readers would be familiar with the complications that can come after the death of a family member, especially when no will has been left to clearly indicate the express wishes of the dearly departed. Now the complex world of intellectual property is being thrown into the mix. As usual, however, while the law continues to plod along, technology is moving at warp speed. All we can do is try to keep up.