Abstract
The phenomenon of digital afterlife (also referred to as digital immortality or digital traces) constitutes the focal point of this investigation. Digital afterlife must be understood as contextually embedded within the disciplines of digital humanities and digital theology. These fields must, in turn, be understood against the backdrop of the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions, which fuel the debate between theology and science. One of the effects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as identified by Klaus Schwab, is the dehumanizing effect of technology on humanity. The Fifth Industrial Revolution, as well as projects such as Society 5.0, endeavours to re-centre humanity in society.
This study approaches the phenomenon of digital afterlife in a descriptive manner, followed by a theological description of the phenomenon. The approach followed here is phenomenological, although the perspective is theological. The goal of phenomenology is to allow the items and events under investigation to speak for themselves. Phenomenology states that the focus is not on our theories about things, but on the things themselves. Although this investigation does not provide an empirical investigation into examples of digital afterlife – an investigation that surely would be of value to the understanding of the topic – a theological evaluation of the phenomenon is presented.
Four insights from a theological perspective on digital afterlife are presented:
(a) Preoccupation with immortality. Creating ways of contact with the deceased may reflect an attitude of being unable to mourn and accept the fact of mortality.
(b) Overemphasis on immanence. Creating visual and audible remnants of the deceased indicates an inability to release the deceased from this material reality.
(c) The creation of new mourning rituals. Digital afterlife can be evaluated positively in the sense that it illustrates the human capacity to generate new and alternative forms of mourning. New mourning rituals are created in an online environment.
(d) The illusion of control. Digital afterlife reflects the human need to be in control – in this instance, in control of the future fate of the deceased. By creating an online presence for the deceased, the family and friends of the deceased remain in control of the remembrance and future fate of the deceased.
Based on these perspectives, the study concludes with recommendations for further research. Further research into the technical nature of digital afterlife is essential, as the phenomenon continues to evolve and assume a variety of culturally infused expressions. A qualitative investigation into the diverse manifestations of digital afterlife may follow from this theoretical exploration. The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in digital afterlife has not yet been fully accounted for, which opens up possibilities for future research on this topic. This investigation could be supplemented with an evaluation of the ethical implications of the phenomenon of digital afterlife.
Keywords: digital afterlife; digital humanities; digital theology; ethics; Fourth Industrial Revolution; illusion; immanence; mourning rituals; phenomenology
- This article’s featured image was adapted from Juan Salamanca and obtained from Pexels.