The Little Black Book of Social Media

by Kyle Taylor

How much data does Facebook really have on me? What is a cookie on the Internet? Is my Amazon Alexa listening to me? Why can’t I seem to stop scrolling endlessly down my Instagram feed? Did social media really help cause an attempted coup in the United States?How did we go from short, 140-character tweets to attempted coups in less than two decades? How much data does Facebook really have on me? Is my Amazon Alexa listening to me? The Little Black Book of Social Media demystifies these seemingly complex topics to help you understand how our very way of life is under threat and what you can do about it before it’s too late.

Powered by your personal data, social media has transformed our way of life, from how we get information, meet people and create increasingly siloed communities. This has had a profound impact on democratic society. Our shared reality – the way we collectively understand the world – has rapidly been replaced by conflicting micro-realities that are often fueled by conspiracy theories, lies and “fake news.” This has been driven by a business model that supposedly gives us everything for free. All we have to do is give up our personal data and privacy. If you aren’t paying for the product, then you are the product.

Genres: Nonfiction

107 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 3, 2023

About the author

Kyle Taylor is the author of Wildflower, Exposition and Billion Dollar Dreamer. The Kyle Taylor character debuted in Billion Dollar Dreamer as a journalist who was assigned to write a story about high school history teacher cum overnight billionaire John Driskil. He resides in New York -- and of course he is a work of fiction!

You can contact Kyle at BillionDollarDreamer@gmail.com

Reviews

[Alex B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plenty of food for thought about the potential harms of social media, and practical ways to address them.

[Aidan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written little guide to social media, the harm it can do and how to protect yourself.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and easy to read, terrifying