Reading the article “QR Codes for the Dead“, I wondered what made me so uneasy about QR codes on grave stones? Cemeteries are viewed as quite, reflective and cathartic spaces not only to mourn but to reflect. So when people armed with smart phones can view personal information of the deceased is that cathartic experience made obsolete? The QR codes take you from being in the moment of that specific location to a cyber space in which isn’t tangible. You can see and feel the grave stone and know that the deceased is laying under but the QR code link takes you to a different dimension of time and space. With growing anxiety of technology such as smart phones and VR goggles replacing “being in the present moment”, do QR codes on grave stones replace that moment with something not fully real or tangible? While grave stones are tangible and lasting pieces of one’s life QR codes could very well become obsolete in a very fast technologically advancing society. The article also mentions the upkeep of links and data of these codes specifically if a QR code company goes under or a link is broken. For instance, while I was on a scavenger hunt in Chicago, QR codes were used as clues to the next location. A link was broken on one of the locations and we were unable to figure out our next clue. Thus, is a QR code truly lasting and relevant as a normal grave stone?

Although some companies offer private codes for only friends and families, others give you the option to be accessible to the general public. Public internet spaces are very prone to hackers and internet trollers. My anxiety of QR gravestones can partly be due to trolling. Thus, the encryption of a virtual grieving space becomes very important. An unsuspecting mourner looking to find more information on the deceased could potentially view harassing information about the deceased, malware or advertisements. This makes the grieving process less authentic and more traumatic to the griever.