EXPLORING IDENTITY, MEMORY AND EXISTENCE IN THE DIGITAL AGE: A PROFOUND JOURNEY INTO THE REALITIES OF TODAY AND THE PROMISES OF TOMORROW. This book enhances your reading experience with augmented reality, enabling indepth exploration through scanning capabilities. It offers valuable insights, visualizations, and practical solutions for digital challenges, transcending traditional literature to empower readers with concise guidance.
INDEX
DIGITAL AFTERLIFE
Index 1. Redefining Identity: Avatars & Digital Identities 2. data & Privacy: THE weight OF MY digital presence
INDEX
3. digital Afterlife: Thanotechnology
I have been reflecting a lot about the intersection between technology and humanity. It’s as if we’re at a crossroads where our sense of identity gets tangled up with the overwhelming impact of technology. But this overwhelming feeling, every day, every year, is getting more and more familiar and somehow comforting. This book, “Digital Afterlife,” is all about figuring out this complex connection between who we are in the omnipresence of technology. We’re taking a deep dive into the twists and turns of life, contemplating where we’re headed and what we will leave behind. As we reflect on how technology could shape our lives, we grapple with weighty ideas that could fundamentally change what defines us as humans. In this world where everything seems controlled and planned out by technology, we’re not solely discussing the risk of losing our natural selves. We’re also exploring the potential loss of the meaning that gives life its spark—especially concerning our identity, memories, and purpose. In these pages, you’ll discover my exploration to understand our digital selves and untangle the mystery of what it truly means to be alive in a time when the line between what’s real and what’s not is becoming blurry and somewhat strange. So, if technology is the answer, what is the question? -Dar Rubinstein
ABSTRACT
CHAPTER 1
DIGITAL IDENTITIES
Redefining
www.avaturn.me
Identity Avatars & Digital Identities in the Dawn of a New Age
The humble selfie has made significant progress towards becoming the new normal in the self-expression environment of the digital age (The Sandbox, 2023). It has evolved into a flexible and dynamic type of communication that gives people the ability to express who they really are, engage with their communities, and bring about constructive changes. However, doing so requires a methodical approach to managing the precarious balance between the virtual and physical worlds. The growing influence of avatars in the metaverse is highlighted by a recent indepth study by Blockchain Research Lab, which emphasises the crucial part digital identity plays in determining the overall user experience (The Sandbox, Mar 29, 2023). With the growing popularity of the metaverse—its estimated $5 trillion potential worth by 2030 (McKinsey, 2022)—Web 3.0 technology adoption is driving the development of digital representations in personal and professional domains (Ladd, 2023). This convergence points to a substantial and continuing change in the application of avatars. The study explores how avatars serve as a fundamental component of the metaverse, providing users with a wide range of options for representation, expression, and communication.
AVATARS
CHAPTER 1
Avatars are essential elements that are more than just visual representations; they have a significant influence on how users interact with the metaverse. The word “metaverse” describes a collective virtual shared place, made up of all virtual worlds, augmented reality, and the internet, that arises from the merging of physical and virtual reality. In this context, avatars are digital incarnations or representations of users that interact and navigate via this virtual world. Giving people a wide range of representation options is one of the main purposes of avatars in the metaverse. A more distinctive and personalised presence in the virtual world is made possible by users’ ability to personalise their avatars to represent their identity. This customisation allows for a great deal of creative freedom for self-expression and extends beyond physical appearance to encompass features like clothing, accessories, and even non-human forms. Avatars are also a potent tool for communication inside the metaverse. They incorporate nonverbal and visual clues to communicate beyond the confines of standard text-based communication. Body language, gestures, and facial emotions all add to a more complex and engaging communication style. This makes interactions within the metaverse more engaging and lifelike by fostering a sense of social presence and deepening communication. Identity, self-perception, and how virtual experiences affect real-world behaviour become important topics of study as users devote time and energy to creating their avatars. It is possible to gain insight into the changing nature of human-computer interactions in increasingly immersive virtual worlds by studying how users navigate their digital identities and the repercussions of these interactions (The Sandbox, 2023). Investigating the production and management of virtual personas via avatars, the study traverses multiple channels, examines avatar marketplaces, includes the
AVATARS
INTRO
AVATARS
use of 3D avatars in virtual environments, and investigates the rise of digital asset emotes. Remarkable research reveals that avatars serve as entry points, representing users in the virtual world and propelling a billion-dollar industry that thrives in the Web3 context in particular (The Sandbox, 2023). Emphasis is placed on the psychological subtleties—like self-expression, social comparison, and selfesteem—that influence avatar choices. Metaverse growth is largely dependent on factors like horizontal integration, teamwork, and the Proteus effect in avatar behaviour. Additional investigation explores the rapidly changing terrain of digital self-expression and the emerging possibility of Web3 avatar markets (Muge, 2023). The research reveals the phenomena of users creating several digital personas and the various services that avatars offer, such as the novel idea of NFT gating. The effect of avatars on unique user profiles and the enormous business potential of digital fashion are taken into account. Turning our attention to the topic of neurodiversity in avatars, the study raises important concerns regarding how these disparities emerge and whether neurodivergent features are shown or kept hidden in the metaverse (Muge, 2023). The study underscores how crucial psychological safety is for neurodivergent people navigating the virtual world, drawing parallels with real-world behaviour. Companies like as Apple and Meta are commended for taking the initiative to create more diverse avatars, but concerns are raised regarding what happens when some characteristics are not reflected. The conversation on how AI environments lack customisation possibilities and how this affects uniqueness and personalisation is relevant to user experience design (The Sandbox, 2023). Users’ tendency to idealise their avatars is brought to light by the avatar creation study, underscoring the necessity for designers to take psychological and emotional factors into account while creating AI environments. Important considerations for the inclusive design of avatar creation tools include gender representation, accessibility, correct and sensitive alternatives, and cultural representation.
I created this p5.js code, using ml5.js face API, to detect facial expressions via webcam, displaying bounding boxes and probabilities. It identifies key facial features and emotions like happiness, sadness, and anger. This technology lays the groundwork for creating lifelike avatars by translating expressions onto 3D models. It enhances virtual interactions in gaming, meetings, or social platforms by mirroring user expressions in avatars.
PORTRAITS
DIGITAL IDENTITIES
STABLE DIFFUSION, P5.JS AND TOUCHDESIGNER
CHAPTER 1
I created 32 digital portraits employing various software and diverse approaches. Leveraging creative coding through platforms like p5.js and TouchDesigner, I made abstract variations of my digital identity. Utilizing ComfyUI and stable diffusion techniques, I delved into realms of imagination and fantasy, manifesting alternate versions that either embody aspects of my identity or serve as symbolic representations. Additionally, I employed these tools to generate a speculative depiction of my older self. Stable Diffusion helped me visualize what I might look like when I’m older. It’s like peeking into the future, sparking reflection on how technology and imagination collaboratively shape our identities in countless ways. It’s not just about making interesting images; it’s like diving into a digital adventure where technology and creativity intertwine. My digital creations transcend typical portraits; they serve as mirrors reflecting different aspects of me, transforming into symbols that communicate who I am.
DIGITAL IDENTITIES
THE ME
CHAPTER 2
DATA WEIGHT
the weight of my digital presence
Visualising Data, Guarding Privacy, Embracing Digital Presence
Our identity is deeply ingrained in the countless bytes that move across various platforms in the huge digital world that characterises our modern existence. Every programme we use, every piece of hardware we adopt, every cloud server that houses pixelated memories, and even the darkest recesses of social media archives all serve as repositories of our digital selves. These seemingly little bytes coalesce into a mosaic that captures and defines the complex aspects of who we are. Our digital presence is shaped by our collective online interactions, reflections, and recollections, which add to its weight and weave a complex web that reflects the complexities of our lives. It’s a profound realisation that a part of our digital soul is waiting to be explored and understood within the boundaries of every storage medium, real or virtual. Our data in this age of bits and bytes doesn’t just sit on servers; it lives as a record of who we are, a dynamic story encoded in the binary code that drives our online existence.
INTRO
CHAPTER 2
DATA WEIGHT
DATA AND PRIVACY
CHAPTER 2
DATA WEIGHT
WhatsApp 1.58 GB
1
Photos 61.3 GB
2
4
Google Maps 0.5007 MB
Spotify 1.05 GB
3
5 iPhone 14 114.49 GB Notes 0.0627 MB
Samsung SSD 2 TB
Samsung SSD 2 TB
Spotify 1.05 GB
DATA AND PRIVACY
7 Macbook Pro, 2019 280.19 GB
icloud 5.35 GB
6 8 Google Drive 10.12 GB
SanDisk Flash Drive 64 GB
9 Gmail 0.4865 MB
Linkedin 1.16 GB
Netflix 1.35 GB
CHAPTER 2
2.4 DATA WEIGHT
49
DATA AND PRIVACY
Terabytes
CHAPTER 2
With an estimated $200 billion in yearly revenue and about 4,000 businesses operating globally, data brokers are essential participants in the digital landscape. They are organisations that specialise in the trading of personal information. In this sector, well-known brands include Epsilon, Acxiom, Equifax, and Experian. Data brokers are well-known economically, but they are criticised for their lack of transparency and inability to build genuine relationships with people, which raises questions about accountability and privacy. The terms “information broker” and “data broker” are frequently used synonymously to describe organisations that do not have direct contact with the people whose data they gather. This can cause confusion regarding the scope of data collection and use. People frequently agree to internet privacy agreements, but it’s not always clear how much power is given up or how much of an influence it has on many websites. Information is gathered by data brokers using a variety of techniques, such as monitoring internet browsing history, obtaining information from public sources such as court records and birth certificates, and using commercial sources like purchase histories (How to Stop Data Brokers From Selling Your Personal Data, 2023). The gathered information is sold for a variety of uses, such as risk reduction in loan application evaluations, customised political messaging, and targeted advertising.
DATA AND PRIVACY
INTRO
CHAPTER 2
DATA WEIGHT
DATA AND PRIVACY
CHAPTER 2
Data brokers support people search websites like Spokeo, PeekYou, PeopleSmart, and Pipl, which enable users to acquire information for a fee, in addition to commercial applications (How to Stop Data Brokers From Selling Your Personal Data, 2023). But the data on these websites can be misused, which could result in problems like identity theft, social engineering, or doxing. At the core of Instagram’s financial triumph are two key elements: advertising, particularly prominent in the Stories feature (originally from Snapchat), and the wealth of data fueling its advertising endeavors. The platform, through its integration with Facebook, utilizes your personal data to curate ads it anticipates you’ll be most inclined to engage with. This data is drawn from your activities within the app and on Facebook, your device, and your online interactions outside Facebook’s domain. On Instagram, every move is carefully monitored. Almost all internet services that you use collect data about your usage. Every time you scroll through the stream, useful behavioural insights are revealed. If you spent twenty minutes at two in the morning poring over the profile of your high school crush, Instagram knows. Instagram collects information for uses other than advertising. It is used for security purposes, like identifying bogus login attempts, and for enhancing app performance by analysing crash reports from users’ devices. Instagram deleted the Following tab in 2019, which exposed posts that were liked by the public. In addition, Instagram’s data-driven advertising approach, which is perfectly tailored to user preferences and behaviour, is seamlessly integrated, contributing to the platform’s enormous financial success. In addition to optimising ad engagement, this tailored strategy strikes a careful balance between income generating and user delight. There aren’t many ways to stop Instagram from tracking your activities besides uninstalling the app. You can, however, take action to reduce data collecting and manage the kinds of online advertisements you see. Users can manage Stories advertisements, see and download collected data, and modify location access through Instagram’s settings. With Instagram’s financial success and user engagement, it may be difficult to completely avoid data surveillance, but users still have some control over their data and advertising experiences (Burgess, 2020).
DATA AND PRIVACY
INTRO
I extracted a year’s worth of my Instagram likes from the platform’s database, downloading the data as a JSON file. To facilitate seamless analysis and visualization, I subsequently converted this dataset into a CSV file, transforming it into an array of structured data. Employing creative coding in p5.js, I crafted a compelling data visualization that intricately connects likes occurring with the same frequency. This visually immersive representation effectively communicates the intensity and chaos inherent in the sheer volume of likes, symbolizing the complexity of the Instagram chain. It serves as an abstract commentary on the comprehensive monitoring of every user interaction—each like and click. This visual narrative underscores the profound influence of our individual actions on the content presented to us, highlighting our active role in shaping and being shaped by the Instagram algorithm.
CHAPTER 2
{
DATA AND PRIVACY
FH/”,
“title”: “national_archaeology”, “string_list_data”: [ { “href”: “https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1oJATFrM-
]
}, {
}
“value”: “\u00f0\u009f\u0091\u008d”, “timestamp”: 1704275146
“title”: “amihai_beer”, “string_list_data”: [ { “href”: “https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0M2EHaIzHj/”, “value”: “\u00f0\u009f\u0091\u008d”, “timestamp”: 1704237127 } ] }, { “title”: “katzsdeli”, “string_list_data”: [ { “href”: “https://www.instagram.com/p/C1nNBYSJrCr/”, “value”: “\u00f0\u009f\u0091\u008d”, “timestamp”: 1704237093 } ] }, { “title”: “thenaughtyfork”, “string_list_data”: [ { “href”: “https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzCjPM1xJh6/”, “value”: “\u00f0\u009f\u0091\u008d”, “timestamp”: 1704237084 } ] }, { “title”: “hidden.ny”, “string_list_data”: [
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“href”: “https://www.instagram.com/p/C1k7Q28v897/”, “value”: “\u00f0\u009f\u0091\u008d”, “timestamp”: 1704236967
}, {
“title”: “camila.morejon_artwear”, “string_list_data”: [ { “href”: “https://www.instagram.com/p/C1nQ7e4vOys/”, “value”: “\u00f0\u009f\u0091\u008d”, “timestamp”: 1704236898 } ]
}, {
“title”: “maxiskitchen”, “string_list_data”: [ { “href”: “https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0zjuONPw-X/”, “value”: “\u00f0\u009f\u0091\u008d”, “timestamp”: 1704223128 } ] }, { “title”: “michelle_gurevich”, “string_list_data”: [ { “href”: “https://www.instagram.com/p/CkIaIO_o4bY/”, “value”: “\u00f0\u009f\u0091\u008d”, “timestamp”: 1704219793 } ] }, { “title”: “zenaskitchen”, “string_list_data”: [ { “href”: “https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0jxcTYtkdB/”, “value”: “\u00f0\u009f\u0091\u008d”, “timestamp”: 1704216203 }
A YEAR OF LIKES
LIFE AND DATA
DATA AND PRIVACY
CHAPTER 3
DIGITAL AFTERLIFE
Digital afterlife
Ethics, Memory, and Existence: Society’s Adaptation to the Evolving Concept of the Afterlife. The way we think about death has changed significantly in the digital age. A time when death was kept private has come to an end with the development of social media and internet communication. Images relating to death are now widely available in online news sources. The adoption of web memorialization and online mourning activities has not only expanded the scope of customary bereavement traditions but also enabled the development of innovative death rituals that transcend the boundaries of traditional wake and burial rites. The development of mourning customs has not only been attributed to modifications in bereavement techniques; it has also expanded in scope as a result of the widespread adoption of online mourning behaviours made possible by social media platforms and Internet architecture.
Our experience of death in the digital sphere is made more difficult by the growth of grieving customs and practices, context collapse, new problems with online social behaviours, and worries about ownership and privacy. When bereaved people come across shortcomings in computer technology and online service design that prevent them from appropriately addressing the death of their users, they may confront culturally dissonant encounters. Our experience is further complicated by the need to make arrangements for the bequest of digital assets and the difficulties posed by obtaining a digital inheritance from the deceased. As of right now, there are no well-coordinated legislative frameworks to simplify laws pertaining to user accounts that have passed away. Uniform legislation might ease the bequest of digital assets and absolve corporations of liability issues, which would aid in the continuous process of addressing the future of digital estate management. Legal issues aside, it is clear that the Internet and other communication technologies have had a significant and lasting impact on how we see mortality in our culture (Wright, N. ,2014).
INTRO
CHAPTER 3
? DIGITAL AFTERLIFE
?
THANOTECHNOLOGY
CHAPTER 3
Estimates show that there will be at least 1.4 billion dead Facebook users by 2100, with the social media platform’s growth stagnating from 2018 onward. On the other hand, if the network keeps growing at its current rate of 13 percent annually, there may be more than 4.9 billion dead users. Notably, most of these identities are expected to belong to non-Western users, highlighting the implications of the digital afterlife for a worldwide audience. A study that was published in Big Data & Society by researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute opened up a wider discussion regarding the value of postmortem data on social media. It emphasises the need for a sustainable and respectable solution that takes into account many interests and values and advocates for a decentralised approach to governance and ownership of our collective digital history. This strategy seeks to ensure the responsible management of our digital remnants by averting possible dystopian scenarios of power disparities and skewed historical narratives (Ehrenkranz, 2019). Methodologically, the researchers used a Python script to scrape Facebook’s Audience Insights page and used UN statistics for mortality rates. Although the study acknowledges significant limitations, including exclusions in publicly accessible data and Facebook’s historical practices of metric inflation, it offers insightful information on the possible size of postmortem profiles. The study also explores the sociological ramifications and ethical issues related to the digital afterlife in addition to the quantitative study. Carl Öhman, the primary author, highlights the pressing necessity of tackling matters concerning data ownership and ethical upkeep. Serious ethical and political concerns were raised in its argument against a purely commercial strategy to data preservation. The researchers challenge readers to evaluate Facebook’s development critically and consider the possibility that it will become more of a cemetery than a social network. Experts can use the study as a reference, as it highlights the significance of taking into account the task’s scope as well as geographic concentrations, especially in non-Western nations. The report’s proposals support a model of curation that is scalable, sustainable, and respectful of the interests of various stakeholders. David Watson, a co-author of the paper, advises hiring specialists to curate this data, including historians, archivists, archaeologists, and ethicists. Serving the interests of future generations and preserving individual privacy are prioritised (Ehrenkranz, 2019).
DIGITAL AFTERLIFE
THANOTECHNOLOGY
Research on online memorialization has mostly focused on the social and psychological dimensions of loss and support. Previous research looked closely at Web 1.0 memorial site users’ posts and the online grief processes that were taking place. According to these findings, mourners met informally over the internet to express and share their grief, making it a fresh channel. For example, examined guestbook entries, web memorial descriptions, and web memorial authors’ surveys. The results showed that Web 1.0 platforms not only made it easier for grieving people to build communities in “cyberspace” and support one another’s grieving processes even when people live far apart, but they also gave them chances to maintain or deepen their relationships with the deceased. Based on stand-alone websites, these ‘virtual cemeteries’ demonstrated ‘obvious similarities with the function of the physical cemetery, which transfers the dead to a location that is accessible but apart from the areas usually inhabited by the living.’ The shift to Web 2.0 social media platforms brought with it unique affordances, such as the ability to repurpose user profiles as monuments and draw in mourners from already-existing “intimate publics”. ‘This appropriation of active profiles for memorialization’ ‘integrates their grieving rituals directly into their ongoing social connections’. Death is a social event, as highlighted by Walter et al. (2011), and it is completely expected that a social media platform will be used to mark this occasion (Gibbs et al., 2014). Ancient concerns regarding the afterlife reappear in the metaverse period, as Web3 is bringing in a new digital frontier and society is undergoing a significant digitalization process. Humans are the designers of this new digital environment, and as such, they are crucial in forming the metaverse, drawing significant outside funding and growing corporate participation. According to projections, the metaverse industry is expected to grow to an astounding $5 trillion in value by 2030. Many predict that the social life in the metaverse will be restructured in the middle of these revolutionary upheavals. The reinvention of existence in a digital realm gives rise to classic philosophical issues infused with modern sensibilities. Should death be anticipated to assume a new form if life is reinvented in the metaverse? More specifically, for both human users and their digital avatars, what happens in the metaverse after we die?
CHAPTER 3
DIGITAL AFTERLIFE
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, is actively working towards the establishment of the metaverse, as creator Mark Zuckerberg stated in an explanation film released in October 2021. Despite the fact that the film avoided discussing death directly, viewers started to wonder about death in the metaverse. Even a phrase ascribed to Zuckerberg appeared in a dystopian meme that was making the rounds on social media: “If you die in the metaverse, you die in real life.” The nexus between death and digital reality unites cutting-edge technologies with well-established domains of grief and death research. The subfield of “thanotechnology,” which examines the intersection of thanatology and technology, was highlighted by thanatologist Cole Imperi, who specialises in comprehending death, grief, and bereavement. According to Imperi, digital spaces give fresh potential for memorialization and recollection by facilitating seamless connections between the living and the dead. What occurs after a digital death is not limited to digital cemeteries. A more urgent query is: What happens to our data and digital assets? Co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands Yat Siu thinks this conversation is still in its early stages (Fortis, 2023).
Thano-
THANOTECHNOLOGY
Ethernalink New Ways To Remember
A virtual space that transcends traditional memorials, offering a dynamic and innovative platform for commemorating loved ones. In this digital realm, users can create, share, and cherish lasting tributes, fostering a sense of enduring connection in the ever-evolving landscape of the digital age. A virtual world hovering between heaven and earth, fused in metallic and transparent hues of the future, surrounded by images and memories. Ethernalink is a sanctuary for tranquil and positive connection. The central tree not only symbolizes our loved ones that passed away but also embodies the essence of life and prosperity.
techhnology
CHAPTER 3
DIGITAL AFTERLIFE
THANOTECHNOLOGY
CHAPTER 3
DIGITAL AFTERLIFE
THANOTECHNOLOGY
CHAPTER 3
CONCLUSION
After you die, would you want to permentaly delete
THE QUESTION
OR keep
your digital legacy?
CONCLUSION
If technology is the answer, what is the question? Perhaps it is not a single question but a multitude of inquiries that define our quest for understanding in this digital age. The final chapter serves as a poignant meditation on mortality in the digital era. There, we confronted the profound implications of our digital legacy and contemplated what it means to exist beyond the confines of our physical selves. It is a reminder that our presence in the digital realm extends far beyond our mortal lives, raising questions about the nature of memory, legacy, and transcendence in an increasingly interconnected world. This book is a roadmap for navigating our digital age, urging us to embrace technology as a tool for growth and introspection. It is a call to action, calling us to embrace our symbiotic relationship with technology and to dare to explore the boundless possibilities it presents.
LINKS
https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/sketches/L3UkyMh4K https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/full/L3UkyMh4K https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/sketches/g3oWyZazK https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/full/g3oWyZazK https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/sketches/F260YJT9U https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/full/F260YJT9U https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/sketches/Dt0DwC6Xm https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/full/Dt0DwC6Xm https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/sketches/ZIw4HIYH1 https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/full/ZIw4HIYH1 https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/sketches/Gj3VP_iVq https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/full/Gj3VP_iVq https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/sketches/mgKd6JL92 https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/full/mgKd6JL92 https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/sketches/5klfF3PJ9 https://editor.p5js.org/Dr.rubi/full/5klfF3PJ9 https://www.spatial.io/s/Ethernalink-65b798f45e7e990c da4c3cbd?share=3158266347419316815
RESOURCES
MASTER IN CREATIVE COMPUTING 2023 SHIFTA by Elisava by Dar Rubinstein © Powered by Adobe Aero