Digital Afterlife examines the energy consumed by the social media profiles of the dead. A monument that shows the ongoing increase of energy used to keep our digital ghosts alive is juxtaposed with a video of the energy counter increasing, along with a looped spoken word performance that explores the social impact of these digital mementos.
The plaque below the monument reads:
“In 2017 the internet and data centers already claim 2% of the world’s carbon footprint, as well as consuming 3% of our global electricity supply. It is expected that by 2020 one-third of the world’s population will be actively on social media. An estimated one million of these users die every month but their accounts do not, leaving a digital graveyard of zombified data still consuming energy every time a video is watched, a photo tagged, a birthday notified, a friend request sent - perpetually continuing its life after your death. 1 Megawatt hour (MWh) = 850 homes"
Filming of the Project:
Team Credits:
Ali Alamzadeh — Industrial Design, Props
Chelsea Bell Eady — Communication Design, Research, Vocal Performance
Andy Liao — Industrial Design, Still Photography
Andy Robinson — Industrial Design, Props
Clayton Wadsworth — Communication Design