What if when we die we could go to an afterlife designed by humans? This the idea of Upload, Amazon Prime Video´s series, released on May 1.
The serie introduces us a soon future, 2033, in where when to die we can access, if the have money, to virtual and eternal Heaven in the cloud.
Is it ethical to live forever? Although in order to have that “eternal life” we need on someone alive to pay a monthly data plan. We will also be immersed in things as common as being surrounded by segmented advertising, evaluate customer service or micropayments for upgrades.
That digital afterlife is, definitely, interesting and the Amazon´s commedy know how, with an black humor, to make fun of current issues but the series does not delve (is a commedy, no Black Mirror). To imagine an eternal digital life –with interaction with live people– It has their advantages and disadvantages:
Staring with the fact “live forever” in this so-called digital utopia. Because although “live forever” is an humanity old dream have to live day after day is tiring plus in “this Heaven” we have no real reason to live.
The avatar have not reason to live. He´s in an “all inclusive hotel” (with restrictions, of course, like pay to minibar access) but have no goals or objectives because to anything update he need pay.
The worst is: the normal life continue. I mean, her loved ones go on with her life. All is normal, only that he or she are dead. That has its consequences.
The love relationships, although with help with virtual reality or augmented reality, become now remote plus the live people get moving, living, but the dead man stays in a kind of loop.
Die is, and it will be, the natural way to close cycles. Of course, it is painful for a person we love dies but we need rest, in a Heaven (if you belive in him) or only ceased to exist but clear close the life.
The eternal life is tired, so tired.
Be an infinite creature is an psicologhical oportunity to intelectual trascend. Knowing thath we are going to die is an impulse to search to leave our mark on the world. But, if we no die…
For what living?
Images | Cinema Gavia, Clipset, Espinof
Translated with DeepL