Feed

By M.T. Anderson

This book was interesting to say the least. In all honesty, it is more enjoyable on audio. Nothing against the book, but the bombardment and function of the Feed itself adds more dynamics to the story. Once you read it, you will understand what I am talking about.

In my opinion, this novel should be required reading for high school students. In this version of the future, people are hardwired directly into the internet. Knowledge is just a quick search away. You think about needing a new pair of pants, don’t worry, the Feed is there to assist, spamming you with ads of the most “in” pair of pants possible. But there is a downside to this new state of the world. Everyone lives in a bubble, both physical and metaphorical. Titus, the main character of this story, goes to the Moon for spring break with his friends, where he meets Violet, who has a different perspective on life, as she was a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to the Feed. Then the unthinkable. They are hacked. They lose their Feed. After they are “fixed”, things go back to life as usual. Or does it?

This novel comes off as a cautionary tale. We are glued to the small computers attached to us like an appendage, almost to the point where we cannot function without it. Quick, what is your mom’s phone number? Or your best friend? What is your partner’s number? Do you know it without looking? It is a skill we seem to be losing, that ability to memorize vast amounts of information. We are constantly bombarded with ads catered just for us. Google colleges in your vicinity, and you are now seeing ads for schools everywhere (even if you are looking for a job on campus, not to earn a degree… it is getting annoying). But yeah, I go onto Facebook, and there is just ad after ad for schools, but I don’t need another degree, I want to find a job. Sigh. Anyway, the point is, social media knows what we watch on Netflix, it knows what we Google, (interesting that Google has become a verb). Oh, and there are a bunch of shady things going on with the government in the book too. Interesting.

What is truly fascinating about all these parallels and a possible darker future ahead for us, as if Anderson is warning us about our smartphones. But here is the thing…. this novel was written in 2002. Yep. 24 years ago. We did not even have smartphones yet. Hell, we didn’t even have unlimited talk, text, and data, which was EXPENSIVE! Hmm.

At the core of this book, beyond the wow of the story's propheticness, is the desire for human connection. Titus wants a true connection. He is lonely despite always being surrounded by people. That is, until he meets Violet. But there is a scene at a teen party, and they are all dancing to their own music, watching their own things; no one is interacting genuinely. We can see this already with TikTok and all that noise.

Just another book to make one think deeply about the world we inhabit.