DORS#7 features on The Death Studies Podcast

Last October, I had the pleasure of attending the 7th International Research Symposium of the Death Online Research Network, Digital Death: Transforming History, Rituals and Afterlife, in Helsinki (DORS#7 for short). It was my first time attending a DORS conference and I was impressed with the breadth and range of topics that were addressed during this conference.

My reason for attending was twofold: on the one hand, I offered a helping hand, chairing panels and offering tech support- nervous academics often forgot how to turn on a computer when a conference presentation is looming! On the other hand, I was there to collect audio for a special episode for , a podcast I co-host with Dr Bethan Michael-Fox, which has close to 50 episodes out. Bethan created a similar episode for DORS#6 (more information about that episode ). DORS#7 was my chance to corner a lot of conference attendees for a short soundbite. Our conference episodes are always a mix of soundbites of attendees, and a longer interview with one of the keynote speakers. DORS proved a fruitful and fascinating environment, and our ever-growing list of potential future interviewees has expanded even further. 

For , I had a wonderful conversation with Dr Tamara Kneese in which we reflected on the conference, her keynote entitled “Platform Necropolitics and the case for AI abolition” and we also delved into her book Death Glitch: How Techno-Solutionism Fails Us in This Life and Beyond (Yale University Press, 2023). Tamara is very critical of the usage of generative AI and has a strong view of the current state of social media platforms like Facebook, X and Instagram and how they are designed and used by the owners of these platforms. 

In our conversation, Tamara and I touched on the death of platforms; the short life span of apps that promise to stick around and safekeep your digital legacy forever. Instead, these apps are ephemeral and only available until the money runs out. Not only do platforms and apps with a “deathy” focus come and go, but other platforms that seem like they will exist forever have a limited lifespan. Last week, Microsoft  a free video calling service that has been around for 22 years. This might not come as a surprise to people who have predominantly been communicating via Teams or Zoom, but it was a shock to my mother and I – since living in different countries, we have been conducting our virtual catch-ups via this platform for over eleven years and neither of us had anticipated that this would ever end. Consequently, our most recent catch-up has revolved around the discussion on where we will move next. 

The conference took place prior to the presidential elections in the United States and looking back now, it feels like a whole different world. Things typically move fast in digital environments, but the unprecedented role of social media platforms in US politics and how centre-stage a handful of platform owners are in executive governance is both nerve-wracking as well as infuriating. Facebook is a means for people to connect and communicate and share ideas, and the DORS network is no exception. In the podcast episode, you can hear me talk with DORS Facebook-group administrator Tal Morse, who explains how people can join this hidden group on the platform. However, given the current political climate and the role of said platform, the DORS network is now debating moving to a different virtual environment, again highlighting the ephemerality of virtual spaces. 

The Death Online Research Network and their accompanying conferences highlight the creativity and range of research topics within the realm of Digital Death. Reflecting on the short timespan between DORS#7 and the present, I am conscious of how rapidly things change or become outdated, and that this will never end. To get a sense of what the conference was like, please listen to our episode wherever you get your podcasts. They are available on most podcast platforms (whilst these platforms last!).  

Renske Visser, University of Oulu
Dr Renske Visser is Postdoctoral Researcher with the Small Matters Project at the University of Oulu and co-host of The Death Studies Podcast