Member-only story
Social Meditation
A (not so) true story of exploring the intricacies of connection in a hyper-digital age
Prologue/Notes:
Since the argument says one cannot know whether one is a brain in a vat, then one cannot know whether most of one’s beliefs might be completely false.~ Wikipedia
I.
Adam Bumchak scrolled through his Instagram feed, his latest post about reading Asimov’s books garnering a meager three likes. It was always the same; book-related posts barely received any attention. Society just didn’t seem to care.
People had told him to become a Bookstagrammer, to share his love of literature online. But the successful Bookstagrammers already had thousands of followers. Adam had two: his mom and older brother, who liked everything he posted out of familial obligation.
His thumbs moved on autopilot as he scrolled through various reels. Some were about recent racially motivated shootings, others discussed women’s rights and fertility issues. Many were simply for shock value, featuring scantily clad women dancing provocatively.
He lingered on those the longest. Each girl seemed more artificial than the last, with exaggerated lashes and plumped lips. He knew they were fake, but he couldn’t look away. An hour…
