ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Emotion Science
Grieving in Virtual Worlds: Emotional Processes and Generational Differences in Avatar-Based Memorials on VRChat
Provisionally accepted
- 1Design And Performing Industries Department, Wales Institute of Science and Art, University of Wales Trinity Saint David - Swansea Campuses, Swansea, United Kingdom
- 2Innovation School of Great Bay Area, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Guangzhou, China
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Digital media and immersive technologies have introduced new modes of grieving, particularly within virtual reality (VR) environments where users inhabit emotionally significant avatars. While existing research has focused primarily on commemorating real-world deceased individuals, little is known about how people experience grief when virtual avatars—embodied extensions of identity—are lost, deleted, or symbolically "died." This study addresses this gap by examining how different generations interpret and process avatar loss within VR-based memorial ceremonies. Using qualitative methods, two avatar-based funerals were conducted on VRChat—one solemn ceremony for a retired World of Warcraft "Death Knight" and one playful sea-burial for a Sea of Thieves "Pirate." Data were collected through participant observation and sixteen semi-structured interviews with users aged 18–65. Thematic analysis revealed two overarching thematic dimensions: (1) Generational Differences and Cultural Influence, and (2) Emotional Experience During Digital Mourning. Younger participants approached avatar loss with humour, narrative play, and flexible identity exploration, while older participants engaged with greater solemnity, ritual structure, and symbolic continuity. Integrating grief theory with socio-technical perspectives, the study proposes the Hybrid Grief Model of Virtual Mourning (HGM-VM), conceptualising digital grief as a dynamic interplay between emotional transition, oscillatory coping, and continuing bonds within virtual spaces. These findings highlight that virtual mourning does not diminish emotional authenticity but reconfigures it through immersive, participatory, and generationally shaped practices. The study provides theoretical and practical insights for designing inclusive and emotionally resonant virtual memorial environments.
Keywords: Virtual mourning, grief, Avatar, Generational differences, Digital death, emotion
Received: 18 Jul 2025; Accepted: 17 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Fu, Xiao, Ruan, Lin and Dong. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xiangyu Dong, 2104582@student.uwtsd.ac.uk
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