A Taxonomy of Memory Themes: Partitioning the Memorable

Abstract

This chapter outlines how social media content is ordered within an existing classificatory grid. Focusing on a particular archetypal throwback feature, Facebook Memories, the chapter demonstrates how the ‘Taxonomy of Memory Themes’ was developed to classify people’s content as ‘memories’ on the platform. Once boxed-up, it is then decided where these bits of content are placed in terms of meaningfulness and positivity, and which of these ‘memories’ should become visible to individual users. The chapter, then, argues that social media are directly participating in the partition of the memorable, where processes of classification figure in the reconfiguration of past data into ‘memories’ whilst content not deemed memorable is side-lined. It further argues that the partitioning of the memorable has the potential to shape the conditions by which past content is rendered meaningful, and in turn shaping what can and should be remembered, celebrated, and shared.