I Gave a Talk at Google Israel

On Thursday, June 26th 2014, I gave a talk about Death in the Digital Era at Google Israel. 

I thank Paul Solomon, Head of Communications and Public Affairs in Israel, Middle East, Africa & Turkey, for inviting me to give this talk, and I thank Nir Eitan for his kind hospitality and for taking these pics. 

 Vered Shavit lecturing at Google Israel

Pictures taken by: Nir Eitan

Here is the internal email of recommendation which circulated around Google Israel employees: 

Paul Solomon's recommendation

A Paper I Wrote With Dr. Roey Tzezana Was Published in Finland Today

Our paper "Online Legacies: Online Service Providers and the Public – a Clear Gap" was published today in Finland, in Thanatos journal. 

Here is what the editors had to say about this issue: 

Thanatos vol. 3

THEME ISSUE: Death, mourning and the internet: death cultures in web environments

In this spring issue of Thanatos, we portray a wide collection of on-going research from across the globe. Digital technologies – or as in this case mostly internet applications – are being appropriated in various ways to mourn and honor the memory of loved ones and in coping with the difficult emotions caused by loss and bereavement. The current internet, the Web 2.0, can be described as social since the most popular websites currently used focus in the self-produced content of individuals who share pictures, moments, memories and stories of their everyday lives. Experiences related to death – both as a social and cultural moment – are also produced in various ways, such as in memorial websites, memorial videos, memorialised profile pages and shrines in virtual worlds. In this context, the social internet provides solace and comfort despite geographical or time distances, as well as a private space to explore social and cultural taboos, such as abortion or suicide.

The theme issue of Thanatos, “Death, mourning and the internet: death cultures in web environments”, brings together scholars from sociology, anthropology, communication sciences, digital culture, design and psychology in a collection of three articles, three research reports and five research reviews (along with two book reviews), which illuminate fascinating thematics on mourning online.


Thanatos is a peer-reviewed, multi-disciplinary and a scientific web-journal published by the Finnish Death Studies Association.