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 featured on Australia’s Triple J Radio!
Jed Brubaker was recently featured on a “Death on Social Media” episode of “Hack,” a show on Australia’s Triple J radio! Take a listen to hear about Jed’s research and the human experience of grief on social media. Its like a modern day graveyard. But its definitely Graveyard 2.0… Unlike a cemetery, where you might travel […]
Brubaker Quoted in Knowledge@Wharton!
Jed’s work is featured in an article in online business analysis journal Knowledge@Wharton, titled “Rest in Peace: Planning for Your Demise, Digitally“. But online memorials are delicate entities. Who has custody of the profile? Who gets access? Who has the right to decide what’s appropriate to include, and what is involved in those decisions? Jed […]
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. […]
Jed in Huffington Post and Page
Jed was recently quoted in articles in the Huffington Post and the German Magazine PAGE about death, Facebook profiles, and digital identity. “Facebook doesn’t do a good job of thinking about death,” says Brubaker, the scholar who studies death on social media. “It doesn’t have that concept. There’s no checkbox that says ‘I am dead,’ […]
Media Appearance on Iowa Public Radio
Jed Brubaker will be a guest on Iowa Public Radio’s show “Talk of Iowa” tomorrow morning (July, 11, 2012; Wednesday, 10 AM Central/Noon PST). The segment is on the ways in which social media is impacting death and grief. Link to the talk show session: [Jed’s online at 31:45 till 48:57] http://news.iowapublicradio.org/post/mourning-digital-age More information on […]
Brubaker’s ICWSM 2012 submission is a best paper candidate!
Congratulations goes to Brubaker, Kivran-Swaine, Taber, and Hayes as their ICWSM 2012 submission, “Grief-Stricken in a Crowd: The language of bereavement and distress in social media” was nominated for a best paper award! Congratulations and good luck in Dublin!