Digital Graveyards

References to the deceased user as “in heaven,” “up there,” and “with us in spirit” are common, indicating hope that not only may the dead person observe the activities of the living, she or he also may view digital messages about those events.

A Facebook application called If I Die was launched in 2011, billing itself as “the digital afterlife Facebook application” and allowing users to create a video or text message that will be published after they die (and verification of the death).