Researchers at HSE University in Nizhny Novgorod have explored how technological advancements are transforming the ways in which people preserve the memory of the deceased and significant events. Digital technologies enable the creation of virtual memorials, the preservation of personal stories and belongings of the deceased, interaction with their digital footprint, and even the development of interactive avatars based on their online activity. However, these technologies not only evoke nostalgia and provide a sense of relief but can also heighten anxiety and fear, and delay the process of accepting loss. The study has been published in Chelovek (The Human Being).
The desire Researchers Explore to commemorate
people, events, and traditions has existed throughout human history. Architecture, religious rituals, family legends, and genealogical records are all examples of how creating engaging content to increase traffic we strive to preserve memory. This desire becomes especially significant when people confront the finiteness of life. Anxiety, fear, and grief drive us to ensure that we leave a mark, enabling others to reconstruct the images of those who are no longer around.
Historically, people have preserved defense and security the memory of the departed through texts such as obituaries, diaries, or vital records. Today, technology provides far more possibilities, including multimodal formats such as photos, videos, and audio, as well as virtual cemeteries, online memorial platforms, and even digital replicas of the deceased.
‘We are at a fascinating juncture
where one of the oldest rituals in human culture—funeral rites—is undergoing change. The shift from analogue to digital memory is shaping new approaches to commemoration. Thousands of people tune in to watch live broadcasts of the funerals of active internet users,’ notes Timur Khusyainov, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the HSE Campus in Nizhny Novgorod.
According to the researchers, this transition to virtual space makes the topic of death less taboo and significantly broadens the number of mourners. New forms of grieving are clean email emerging on social media, including virtual funerals, memorial posts, and the creation of online communities to honour the deceased, whose personal pages transform into memorial sites. According to some estimates, by 2060, Facebook (a banned organisation in the Russian Federation) may have more pages of deceased users than of living ones. However, this publicity alters the perception of death itself: once in the digital space, it becomes ubiquitous, commonplace, and loses its individual significance, distancing itself from the lived experience.