Creation and Inheritance of Digital Afterlives

Debra J. Bassett received her PhD from the University of Warwick and is a visiting fellow at the University of Bath. Her qualitative research focuses on how, through avatar creation, blogs, vlogs and social network sites, people are creating and nurturing bonds with the dead, and how this human-computer interaction may affect how people grieve.

• 1. Introduction: Contextualising Digital Afterlives.- 2. The Service Providers – Both Intentional and Accidental.- 3. A Philosophical Detour.- 4. From Digital Footprints to the Ultimate Selfie: The Experiences and Motivations of Digital Creators.- 5. Why Do Digital Afterlives Matter? The Experiences and Motivations of Digital Inheritors.- 6. Losing the Data of the Dead and Expanding Existing Models of Bereavement.- 7. The Future of Digital Death.- 8. Final Thoughts and Reflection.