Feed by M.T. Anderson

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M.T. Anderson’s Feed brings to the surface issues that merely linger on the periphery of our mind and jars our perceptions. Technology becomes the embodiment of life and vice versa.

At first, this idea was difficult for me to grasp. The first few pages were incredibly frustrating because of the coarse, simplistic language. However, the purpose of this style of writing became extremely clear after the first chapter: he wants us to understand the dangers and limitations of technology. He makes us think about language and the ways in which it is manipulated and destroyed by technology. This is an incredibly bold statement for someone to make in the era of ultimate technological advancement, but it is this earnest assertion that makes this book so enthralling.

It seems to me that many people would find this idea of a “feed” to be quite intriguing and potentially desirable. Who wouldn’t want unlimited access to news, movies, television shows, music, and all the information the world has available within arms reach? This is what Anderson wants you to think:

“People were really excited when they first came out with feeds. It was all…this big educational thing, da da da, your child will have the advantage, encyclopedias at their fingertips…That’s one of the great things about the feed—that you can be supersmart without ever working” (47).

But then he quickly alters your perspective by pointing out the dangers that might accompany such a technology. What would happen to individuality? Privacy? Intelligence? Emotion? Anderson’s ability to elicit such questions within a young adult novel is what makes this book worth reading. All the while you are imagining traveling to the moon and “low grav” night clubs with juice that floats in the air and watching music videos during algebra and all of the sudden: WHAM! You are hit with all of these important moral, existentialist questions. As soon as you think you could get used to having everything “closer than [your] fingertips” you begin to realize the frightening potential of it all. Upon being hacked into on the moon, Titus has his memories subpoenaed and his feed shut down and the computer-human hybrid is no longer covetable.

My favorite part about this novel was the way that Anderson wove together technology, communication and emotion. Watching the interactions between Titus and his family and friends was extremely interesting. People in the novel are never (and can never be) completely present in the moment. They always have something—likely many things—going on in their head at any given time and cannot fully give their attention to any one thing. This has as incredibly adverse effect on the relationships in the novel. For example, Titus cannot always come up with the appropriate words to describe his feelings, so the feed helps him. His father gets annoyed when he speaks out loud instead of through the feed. Is he actually involved in meaningful relationships or does he only follow what comes through is feed? Does it matter? This really made me think about the way I interact with other people. Do I try to hold meaningful conversations while I’m watching television or writing an email? Is multitasking actual effective or does it just mean everything gets done faster but not as well? I often find myself checking Facebook for updates on my friends’ lives rather than picking up the phone. What role does or should technology play in our lives? Is Feed our future?

This book was not just written—it was carefully crafted. Anderson has given us a glimpse into a futuristic world with its own language, norms, and worldviews. He invites us to think—and I say, “Yes!” Log off, sign-out, unplug and open this book. Happy reading!