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With 'death tech,' ghosts pretend to invade our smartphones
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Technology

With 'death tech,' ghosts pretend to invade our smartphones

From Le Temps · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • A new trend called "death tech" explores using technology to communicate with the deceased, though success rates are reportedly very low.
  • Facebook's birthday reminder feature can lead to awkward situations when it prompts users to wish a happy birthday to someone who has recently died.
  • The article touches upon the inventive, albeit largely unsuccessful, attempts to bridge the gap between the living and the dead through technological means.

The burgeoning field of "death tech" is exploring the possibility of communicating with the deceased through smartphones, though early experiments have yielded minimal success. These technological ventures, while highly inventive, have largely failed to establish a reliable connection with the departed.

Even seemingly simple digital interactions can become poignant reminders of loss. Facebook's automated birthday greetings, for instance, can inadvertently prompt users to wish a happy birthday to friends or family members who have recently passed away. Such digital misfires highlight the complex intersection of technology, memory, and grief.

The article suggests that while the desire to connect with those who have died is profound, current technological capabilities are far from fulfilling this wish. The attempts made so far, though creative, underscore the significant gap between human longing and technological reality in this sensitive domain.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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