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Special Feature 64 | How do people remember major events in the digital age?

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Special Feature 64 | How do people remember major events in the digital age?

2020 has been a tumultuous year, with the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating economic downturns and the two major powers, the U.S. and China, engaged in fierce competition. The past six months have passed swiftly, filled with bizarre and extraordinary events that have already exceeded the capacity for what people can endure in half a year.

The passing of the Hong Kong National Security Law, coupled with widespread protests in the U.S., makes June 4th of this year particularly significant.

In human history, major events are commemorated through paintings, statues, writings, and songs. What changes have occurred in our current digital life? And what new forms have emerged with the integration of blockchain technology?

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Event 1: #icantbreathe

After the death of African American George Floyd due to mistreatment by a white police officer, protests erupted across the United States, with many Americans raising the #icantbreathe slogan (referring to Floyd's repeated pleas of not being able to breathe) and even riots and looting taking place in several cities. Many state governments implemented curfews and deployed the National Guard to control the situation, while protests near the White House turned violent. U.S. President Trump stated on Monday that if the situation is not brought under control, he would not hesitate to use the military to suppress the crowds under the "Insurrection Act". Secretary of Defense Mark Esper opposed this action at a press conference, and Army General Mark Milley expressed in a memo that they do not support the recommendation to use the national military to quell unrest. The letter stated that every member of the military has sworn to defend the constitution, which states:

"All men and women are created free and equal and should be respected and treated with dignity, and the Constitution also grants people the freedom of speech and peaceful assembly."

U.S. generals sign letter opposing the use of military to quell protests

In addition to protests and riots, there were also unique forms of commemoration in the digital age.

(1) Google displayed a black ribbon under the search bar on May 31 in the U.S., showing support for racial equality. Internet giants like Facebook and Amazon also posted black and white messages in memory of this event.

(2) Mainstream streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music participated in the "Blackout Tuesday" event, adding 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence in some music playlists - the time George Floyd was suffocated.

Blackout Tuesday

(3) A Nigerian digital and crypto artist sold his latest digital artwork "I Can't Breathe" (a non-fungible ERC-721 token) on the blockchain art social network SuperRare, eventually fetching 7 ETH.

Event 2: COVID-19

The global pandemic has claimed many lives, and in our digital world, we see memorials for both the "whistleblowers" and the deceased.

(1) COVID-19 whistleblower: Dr. Li Wenliang, the doctor who early on discovered cases and tried to warn the public, was initially reprimanded by the government and eventually passed away. Through the immutable nature of blockchain, Dr. Li's story is recorded on Ethereum through smart contract code, with a monument outline drawn in code and the letters "RIP".

(2) The New York Times created a special webpage: "An Incalculable Loss", which chronicles the names and stories of the deceased from the outbreak of the pandemic to the present in a scrollable web page. The front page of the newspaper on May 24 was filled with names and stories of the deceased.

Will You Remember?

The erasability of digital records is mostly controlled by centralized platforms, and the digital content we collectively witness spreads faster and wider than the artistic memorabilia used by past humans. However, we also face different problems - digital content can be hidden or disappear without our knowledge. The immutability of blockchain seems to address this issue from an irremovable perspective, but how to effectively present it to the public is another issue, as the user base is too small and limited.

Furthermore, with massive digital content appearing before us, they become cheaper and less valued, and these digital forms of "memories" are often forgotten more quickly. The important yet indelible shared human memory, along with our accustomed digital life, may lead to better integration in the future.