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Social traps are negative situations where people get caught in a direction or relationship that later proves to be unpleasant, with no easy way to back out of or avoid. The concept was orignally introduced by John Platt who applied psychology to Garrett Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons", where in New England herd owners could let their cattle graze in the common ground. This situation seems like a good idea, but an individual could have an advantage. If they owned...
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The immortality trap: Terror management in the digital context.

Hui Fa1

  • 1Institute for Advanced Study in Social Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

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Digital technologies offer new paths to symbolic immortality but also create vulnerabilities. The study introduces the "immortality trap," where digital presence hinders meaning transmission, emphasizing value-based legacy for digital age existential coherence.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Digital Humanities

Background:

  • Terror Management Theory (TMT) provides a framework for understanding human responses to mortality.
  • Digital technologies are increasingly mediating human experiences, including those related to self-perception and legacy.
  • Existing research lacks a comprehensive framework for understanding digital immortality pathways and their psychological implications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore how digital technologies reshape traditional pathways to symbolic immortality.
  • To identify new vulnerabilities and opportunities presented by digital environments for achieving symbolic immortality.
  • To propose a theoretical framework for classifying digital legacy and its psychological functions.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical analysis grounded in Terror Management Theory (TMT).
  • Development of a classification framework for digital immortality based on interactivity and volition.
  • Conceptualization of the 'immortality trap' paradox within digital contexts.

Main Results:

  • Digital environments offer novel routes to symbolic immortality (self-esteem, cultural worldviews, relationships, legacy tools).
  • These environments also introduce vulnerabilities like fragmented meaning, fragile validation, and diminished control.
  • Digital defenses against death anxiety may vary in symbolic and psychological effectiveness.

Conclusions:

  • The 'immortality trap' highlights how digital presence can paradoxically undermine the transmission of existential meaning.
  • Symbolic immortality in the digital age requires more than data preservation; it necessitates intentional value and meaning transmission.
  • Sustaining existential coherence and cultural continuity in the digital era depends on actively conveying values and meaning.