Brubaker Successfully Defends Dissertation
Congratulations to Jed Brubaker for successfully defending his dissertation titled: “Death, Identity, and the Social Network” Committee: Gillian R. Hayes (Chair), Paul Dourish, Geoffrey C. Bowker, Melissa Mazmanian Abstract: What happens to our accounts, data, and digital identities after we die? Over 550,000 US Facebook users will die in 2015, but their deaths will not necessarily result in the […]
Brubaker Quoted in Reader’s Digest!
Jed is quoted in a new Reader’s Digest article, “Coping with Death on Facebook“. “With a funeral, there is a specific time and place for people to mourn,” says Jed Brubaker, a University of California, Irvine, social media scholar. “On Facebook, anyone at any time can engage in this process.”
Managing Online Identities for the Deceased
The death of a loved one can be a challenging time for survivors who are left to manage the deceased’s affairs. In many cases, our increasing amount of online data is exacerbating this issue. Our social media lives create vast quantities of personal data that remain after we die. However, these data are not like other assets that we include in wills or testaments. They are connected to a large number of friends who survive us, all with diverse needs.
Brubaker’s Work Featured by UC Irvine News!
Jed is featured in a Halloween-themed article by UC Irvine News, titled “The spooky side of science“. “The mass adoption of social network sites includes, as a natural consequence, the growing presence of profiles representing individuals who are no longer alive,” he explains on his website. “However, the death of a user does not result […]
Brubaker’s Work Highlighted by Center for Digital Ethics & Policy!
Jed was interviewed by Center for Digital Ethics & Policy in an article called “RIP Trolling“. “For many individuals it’s about connecting with other people who are experiencing loss,” explains Jed Brubaker, a digital identity researcher who focuses on death, social media and post-mortem identity. Facebook, of course, is also a popular destination for commiseration. […]
Death and the Social Network
The death of a user does not result in the elimination of his or her account nor the profile’s place inside a network of digital peers. Friends use profiles postmortem to say last goodbyes, share memories, and coordinate funereal arrangements. These practices highlight three important themes for social networks and the representation of identity for their users: embodiment, representation, and temporality.
Paper accepted to the CHI workshop on HCI at the End of Life
Congratulations to Jed Brubaker and Janet Vertesi on the acceptance of their paper on death and social networking sites to the CHI 2010 workshop HCI at the End of Life. Death and the Social Network Jed R. Brubaker & Janet Vertesi We analyze profiles and associated comments on social network sites following the death of […]