In today's world social media has become an integral part of our lives. It has
revolu:onized the way we communicate with each other and has brought people closer than
ever before. However, Richard Seymour's book, "The TwiCering Machine," highlights the
nega:ve effects of social media and argues that it has created a culture of outrage. Seymour
argues that social media plaForms like TwiCer influence people to express extreme opinions
and aCack those who disagree with them.
He calls this phenomenon "outrage porn," where people are rewarded for expressing
their outrage in the most extreme ways possible, in layman terms “cancel culture”. This culture
of outrage and online cancelling has led to toxicity and polariza:on, where people find it hard to
have produc:ve conversa:ons and find common ground. It creates unnecessary conflict and
fuels fire for pointless debates. Moreover, Seymour also explores the ways in which social media
can be used to manipulate and control people by using complex algorithms that are designed to
show the viewer what they believe in except for a holis:c view of the arguments. Social media
plaForms use their highly developed algorithms for targeted adver:sing and poli:cal
propaganda, which can affect people's opinions and behaviors. This has led to concerns about
the impact of social media on our democracy and society as a whole. Another important aspect
that Seymour discusses in “The TwiCering Machine” is the impact of social media on our mental
health. The constant influx of informa:on, shocking news, clickbait :tles and no:fica:ons make
it so that the brain starts craving a dopamine release, it gets addicted to the constant dopamine
release. This can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. People may also
feel the pressure to keep up with the latest trends and news, which can extremely be
exhaus:ng and overwhelming.
Overall, "The TwiCering Machine" is a thought-provoking book that challenges us to
think cri:cally about the role and importance of social media in our lives. It reminds us that
while social media has several benefits, it also has nega:ve consequences that must be
addressed. As young people who are growing up in the digital age, it is important that we are
aware of the impact that social media has on us and as individuals we should make thoughFul
choices and use it in a produc:ve manner that benefits the society.
The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It is a poli:cal pamphlet
that explains the struggles of the working class and the role of capitalism in society. While it is
an influen:al book, it has some issues that need to be considered. One of the main ideas in the
book is called historical materialism, which basically states that economic and material
condi:ons are the primary factors that determine the course of history while the social and
cultural factors play a secondary role in shaping history. However, some philosophers think that
this idea is too simplis:c and doesn't take into account the complexity of social rela:ons.
The book talks about how society is divided into two main classes: the bourgeoisie, who
own the means of produc:on i.e. the landlords and the wealthy people, and the proletariat, are
the people who work for them. This ideology is useful in understanding power rela:ons in
society, but it has been cri:cized for ignoring other forms of oppression, such as those based on
race, gender, and sexuality. Marx and Engels argue that capitalism leads to a crisis of
overproduc:on, which results in widespread poverty for the working class. They suggest that
the solu:on is to abolish private property and establish a socialist society based on collec:ve
ownership and produc:on. While this idea may seem appealing, it is not clear how it would
work in prac:ce.
Finally, some people are concerned about the book's historical associa:on with
authoritarian governments that claimed to be following Marxist principles. This has led to
several people believing that the ideas of revolu:on and socialism if implemented could lead to
repression and human rights abuses. In conclusion, The Communist Manifesto is an important
book that raises important ques:ons about social and economic inequality. However, its
oversimplifica:on of complex social rela:ons, lack of prac:cality, and historical associa:ons with
authoritarianism are all valid points of cri:cism. Regardless, the book remains a valuable
resource for people interested in social jus:ce and the struggle for equality.