This one was harder to read for me. There was something in the words and the pace of the story that kept throwing me off.

Okay I LOVED this. An informative and responsible book about the internet by an author who clearly gets it. As an internet culture writer, this was super helpful to me in my work, and I'm already looking for ways to channel what I've learned into my own reporting.

This is a well researched account of how social media (especially Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter) have allowed hate groups and misinformation to spread.

If the events of the past years have not already done so, this book should give you pause about any of the social media platforms you use regularly. It did so for me.

Max Fisher looks at phenomena as diverse as the genocide of the Rohingya in Myanmar, the growth of anti-vaccine movements, and the political discord of our recent elections. He shows how these are not simply the result of zealots posting what is often false information or incendiary statements. Rather, he argues that there is something baked into our social media that turns these into potent movements that in some instances have led to the loss of life and the deception of many.

The issue is engagement. If all the things posted on any platform, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Reddit, were given equal weight, the postings of zealots, social media influencers, and bad actors from other countries would still have minimal effect–getting lost in the mass of material posted every day. What makes it different is that each of these platforms and others, in the pursuit of advertising dollars, where they make their money, promote the material that gets the most engagement through the algorithms that determine what we see when we visit one of these sites. Those algorithms are tailored to our interests and show us more of what we’ve viewed, liked, and clicked on.

But there is more. These platforms use recommendation engines that show you other content that is related to your interests, content that is getting a lot of engagement. And often this is inflammatory, engendering fear or anger. And this can lead people into groups that share that anger, that disengagement with society, and down a rabbit hole, away from family and friends in the real world.

What is chilling is Fisher’s account of the indifference of these platforms, even when their internal research calls attention to the effect of their algorithms. Often, government authorities, seeking to stop the spread of misinformation, find it impossible to even get a response from these platforms–unless they pull the plug on these platforms’ access to their countries. But in many countries, these platforms serve as the primary source of information for their people. Hence, the reluctance to take this step.

I found this a deeply disturbing trend. And in the light of the recent takeover of Twitter and the financial struggles of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, I think the chaos Fisher chronicles could easily increase–unless. Unless we educate ourselves about how these platforms work, how they show us content (or not), and make decisions of how we will engage them without being manipulated by them. But this is a big ask. All I know is that I am asking myself hard questions about how I will engage these platforms going forward–or whether I will continue to do so.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.

A "must read" for everyone! So in-depth, with mind-blowing statistics and facts on every page. I'll be buying a physical copy of this.

The Chaos Machine is the book you're looking for, if you want a comprehensive history of social media and its nasty effects on society.

Why it matters; Social Media is everywhere and we all use it, therefore it is important to understand its effects and how we got here.

The bottom line: According to the book Social Media and Big Tech need to reigned in to curb the power that they have over our lives.

Very timely and accessible description of the current state of social media and their evil influence on all of us, as well as a guide through its short but complicated history.
The author, an investigative reporter from the New York Times, clearly knows his craft, so he gives us a fast paced journalistic account, with many colorful characters and surprising plot twists.

If you’re following this topic closely you will be familiar with most of the phenomena and events described here, but nonetheless you will find an engaging and interesting story. And if you’ve just recently begun to wonder what is going on and want to be up-to-date as soon as possible, this book will be a perfect choice.

Thanks to the publisher, Little, Brown and Company, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I have to say that this book really shocked me. Being someone who likes to think of myself as being well informed, I'm completely surprised at how social media companies have manipulated me. And, for that matter, the world! Never again will I be able to look at Facebook and similar companies as just a way for me to stay in touch with friends. From the manipulation of what you see in order to boost their bottom line to the subversive ploys built into the "Like" button. Good Lord! I have always been a free enterprise, free speech supporter, but this really has to stop. We cannot continue to let these companies manipulate and destroy our world. Unbelievable!

As a social media professional, I didn't get a lot of new information from this book. But I did get some. It suffers a bit from the short lifespan of Facebook functionalities, but anything written about specific Facebook features will meet the same fate. This offers some great big-picture strategic thinking, which makes it recommended reading for any current or aspiring business owner who wants to board the ride that is the social web.

There seems to be a theme to my reading right now whether it’s fiction or nonfiction. The destructive effects of social media on people’s minds and society as a whole is foremost in both categories and is the focus of The Chaos Machine, a nonfiction work centered around interviews conducted with various insiders and outsiders of the Silicon Valley social media scene. If you weren’t sure social media is destructive and who is responsible, you will be after reading this series of cautionary tales. Very informative and captivating.