Definition and Implications of the Digital Near-Death Experience: A Theoretical Essay on Preliminary Empiricism
arXiv Preprint Archive October 22, 2021 via arXiv
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractLeaving a major social networking platform like WhatsApp can be understood as a 'digital near-death experience,' a metaphor for the classic near-death experience. This theoretical essay proposes a definition and implications of this new concept, describing the process of canceling participation and the resulting alienation from data, actions, and decisions previously ceded to tech giants. The author grounds the narrative in personal experience and subjective perceptions of being outside the WhatsApp network. A research agenda for further study is also proposed. The propositions rest on assumptions that, if false, would invalidate the findings.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Cs.cy |
| Key finding | Proposes that canceling participation in a major social networking platform constitutes a "digital near-death experience," a metaphor for the classic near-death experience. |
Abstract
Purpose: People are increasingly adhering to social networking platforms (SNP), and this adhesion is often unreflective, which makes them alienate data, actions, and decisions to tech giants. This essay discusses what happens when, eventually, someone chooses to cancel their participation in a large SNP. Methodology/design: This is a theoretical essay, whose narrative resembles a theoretical-empirical manuscript, grounded on the author's experience and his subjective perceptions regarding being out of the WhatsApp network (nowadays, the main SNP instance in the world). Findings/highlights: This study proposes a definition and implications of the supposedly new "digital near-death experience" concept, a metaphor for the classic near-death experience (NDE). A research agenda is also proposed. Limitations: The resulting propositions are grounded on a set of assumptions, that if falsified, make the findings invalid.