What a wonderful society we have created since the internet was invented. You agree, right? I mean we do derive a majority of our academic research and pondering questions from it. The answer you have been looking for is right in front of you with no doubt in your mind that it is inaccurate. My question is… isn’t a lot of different sources on the internet just people's inputs on that topic? Are they always accurate? A huge issue regarding the internet is that it is our largest source used around the world that is constantly spreading false information everyday. It is used by millions of people and they feel it can help them get by because of all the “useful” information it provides. Physical interactions are beginning to become less of a social norm because chatting on social media is found easier. We are taking each other less seriously by not always talking face-to-face. In person conversations create more meaning behind your words vs. explaining them online. To be honest, I am starting to get a little tired of my friends sitting on their phones completely ignoring me while I’m trying to have a decent conversation with them. This makes me worry that eventually everybody will only feel the need to talk to others through technology.
A book I have been reading lately called Feed has really opened my mind more to this topic. This book is seriously incredible, considering the author created it back in the early 2000s before smartphones were even created (considering they are the most used device to communicate). He formed a story based on his perspective of what the future may turn out to be. So what exactly is the Feed? It is a chip implanted in a newborn's brain at birth which allows them to search the internet and provide them news stories/items to purchase based on their interests. It is clearly the most controversial issue in the book, since there are some people who absolutely adore it while others are protesting on the streets how it is harmful to their society. Then there are the main characters in the book who like to mess with the feed such as: Titus and Violet.
Titus comes from a wealthy family and was given the privilege of being provided a feed at birth by his parents (not to mention he also discovers most of his facial traits were created by the picture of an actor, DelGlacey Murdoch, and only a few from his parents). At first, this character is very fond of the feed and finds it completely beneficial to his life. He finds nothing wrong with the life he is living, and explains a few times throughout the book that he believes the world is in the best condition it’s ever been. For example, the corporations own everything from the Schools™ to the Clouds™. Now schools teach his peers “how the world can be used, like mainly how to use our feeds” (pg. 109). A prime example of how important the feed is and how it prevents them from the outside world. Titus’s opinions begin to change when he meets Violet, a girl who shares her negative thoughts about the disadvantages the Feed provides. He becomes interested in the fact she doesn’t follow cultural norms. 
Violet is presented as an old-fashioned, young woman with a bright personality. She is very intelligent (but found ignorant by others) based on all the knowledge her father has provided her while growing up. This is because he is an old school professor who teaches dead languages. Violet despises the Feed more than anything. She believes it is “raising a nation of idiots” because it is making everybody so close-minded and not aware of their surroundings (pg. 113). Violet gets a sense of satisfaction when she causes difficulty with the Feed. To mess with the system a bit, she takes Titus to the mall and has them both pretend to have interest in items that their gender or liking wouldn’t normally view. This causes a disruption in their Feed, but makes them feel superior. We learn that Violet was given the Feed a few years after being born, because it was not affordable and her parents were doubtful about its offerings. She sometimes feels discomfort from her feedware because the chip was placed in her brain at a more developed stage. This can cause her to malfunction or even worse, shut down her whole body.
Why is Violet’s self-being slowly disintegrating in the book? Why is her father such a smart man who receives a low income? Questions I sadly can’t answer due to not finishing the book yet. Now my pondering question regarding the novel is: Is the Feed trying to get rid of the intelligent who is a threat to the system?
Priscilla Z.
No comments:
Post a Comment