Social media

I Wanted a Boyfriend. My Life Coach Told Me to Become a Commodity.

I Wanted a Boyfriend. My Life Coach Told Me to Become a Commodity. I Wanted a Boyfriend. My Life Coach Told Me to Become a Commodity.

Life coaching offered the energy and promise I was looking for—until I learned what it wanted from me in return. 

Oct 24, 2022 / Feature / Geoffrey Mak

A young woman has a cup of coffee while shopping on the Internet in the 1990s.

The Intimate and Interconnected History of the Internet The Intimate and Interconnected History of the Internet

Kevin Driscoll’s new book The Modem World offers a picture of an early Internet defined by community, experimentation, and lack of privacy. 

Oct 14, 2022 / Q&A / Jacob Bruggeman

Pankaj Mishra’s Novel of Intellectuals and Influencers

Pankaj Mishra’s Novel of Intellectuals and Influencers Pankaj Mishra’s Novel of Intellectuals and Influencers

Mishra’s first work of fiction in over a decade examines how ideas circulate in an age of social media and “ideas festivals.”

Oct 3, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Jennifer Wilson

The Prying Eyes of Social Media

The Prying Eyes of Social Media The Prying Eyes of Social Media

The lack of regulation of online platforms puts our private lives up for sale.

Sep 20, 2022 / Feature / Patricia J. Williams

Searching for Local Identity in “The Bear” and “Chicago Party Aunt”

Searching for Local Identity in “The Bear” and “Chicago Party Aunt” Searching for Local Identity in “The Bear” and “Chicago Party Aunt”

The FX drama and Netflix animation both attempt to embody the city of Chicago. That’s an increasingly difficult task when the city itself is a jumbled simulacrum of its own past.

Aug 25, 2022 / Ryan Zickgraf

What’s Life Like for the Content Moderator?

What’s Life Like for the Content Moderator? What’s Life Like for the Content Moderator?

Hanna Bervoets’s novella We Had to Remove This Post attempts to get inside the mind of one the Internet’s frontline workers.

Aug 23, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Joanne McNeil

Why the Internet Sided With Johnny Depp

Why the Internet Sided With Johnny Depp Why the Internet Sided With Johnny Depp

In a he said/she said scenario, we tend to believe him, regardless of our own gender.

Jun 6, 2022 / Kate Manne

Jennifer Egan’s World Wide Web

Jennifer Egan’s World Wide Web Jennifer Egan’s World Wide Web

Her latest novel tackles a favorite topic of her fiction—the excesses of the Internet and modern technologies.

May 3, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Erin Somers

Do Revolutions Have a Secret Ingredient?

Do Revolutions Have a Secret Ingredient? Do Revolutions Have a Secret Ingredient?

A conversation with Gal Beckerman about his book, The Quiet Before, on the hushed moments and activities that precede social change

Apr 28, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Jasmine Liu

Cancel Culture Exists

Cancel Culture Exists Cancel Culture Exists

It’s fashionable to claim there are no real consequences for online callouts. The truth is, there very often are.

Apr 14, 2022 / Column / Katha Pollitt

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