Welcome to Litsy!

This started off quite well but has become rather boring now. DNF @ 40%.

“The web that many connected to years ago is not what new users will find today. What was once a rich selection of blogs and websites has been compressed under the powerful weight of a few dominant platforms. This concentration of power creates a new set of gatekeepers, allowing a handful of platforms to control which ideas and opinions are seen and shared.”

This book is nine years old now and at the time of writing, the insidious nature of social media, ads and the invasion of privacy were scary enough, so I can only imagine what wondrous changes in apps and tactics these same companies and governments are employing now. To be sure, I think we‘re all aware of the adage that if the service is free, the product is you, but this book lays out in horrific detail the evolution of data and you as product.

Gloriously over-the-top. Blabey's now got me reading two series. The messaging is heavy-handed but appreciated. The Fugitive riff? Just a personal fave.👌🏻Have theories about those cloaks....

This book presents some ideas worth considering. Social media was created for connection but it has grown into something else and there is no stopping it. Algorithms are everywhere and not only decide things for you, but build different kinds of walls around you (disinformation, economic walls, loss of physical, emotional connection—to name a few). You have to decide for yourself what you want to do with it. It causes harm but there is also⬇️

This probably isn‘t a fair rating, it is well written and researched, but I started skimming because I knew most of the information & reliving it made me want to delete all my social media accounts and throw my smartphone into the sea.

4.25⭐
While this was a touch too much YA for me, I‘m fairly certain I‘ve never heard the word hashtag said so much in one story, I still have to admit that this was a decent mystery thriller in the YA category. That final twist at the end cemented that. It was also fun trying to figure this one out. The narration by Reba Buhr was quite good, although, some of her character voices did get a touch annoying.

This is an odd one that didn‘t really go anywhere…

Read for reading prompts

3.75/5

Library book 📖

Mildly amusing, can be read in a few sittings.

Kayleigh works at a social media platform as a moderator, reviewing uploaded content and deciding what can stay up and what has to be removed – she watches hundreds of videos depicting violence, child abuse, animal abuse, self harm and acts of terrorism every day. It's an interesting premise and I really liked the way this book was written, but it ended so abruptly and without any real closure. 😔
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
#dutch #dutchauthor 🇳🇱