Book Review of the Chaos Theory by Max Fisher
This is not the first book on social media that questions the almost unanimously positive regard this technology is held in, or has been held in, until more recently. Similar books have been written by people like Jarod Lanier and Tristran Harris, notably both poacher’s turned gamekeepers. Both have made similar arguments to Fisher based on their experience working in the tech industry. Fisher however, comes at the subject using the lens of investigative journalism. This approach adds to the growing chorus of commentators that are urging a reconsideration of the role of social media in today’s world. The book posits Social Media as a machine and looks at various features of this machine. He does this by sifting through some really concerning events over the past few years. These events include Facebook’s use during the genocide of Rohynga Muslims in Myanmar, the rise of the anti-vax movement or the New Zealand mass shooting. What Max Fisher tells us in this book is that social media is...