After-life Presence on Facebook: Initial Analysis of Cases within the Mexican Culture

When we die our physical presence disappears but in many cases our digital presence on social networking websites might still revolve around others‟ life. Due to religious and personal beliefs, the concept of death has been entrenched in Mexican culture since ancient times and these beliefs can be seen on social networking websites when interacting with the dead. Mexicans seem to be using them to reconnect with the dead and increasingly maintain some form of contact with them. We present some initial observations on Facebook profiles of two late Mexicans to investigate how the bereaved deal with the dead of a loved one. We found several different topics amongst the messages posted by the bereaved on their deceased friends‟ walls. Furthermore, we posit some questions that can be used as research guidelines in the future. Finally, we also discuss some of the current and future implications for research in this particular area.