Allegiance: “loyalty or commitment to a superior or to a group or cause.” The phrase almost works. People spend half their lives feeding the beast of social m

Allegiance: “loyalty or commitment to a superior or to a group or cause.” The phrase almost works. People spend half their lives feeding the beast of social media by documenting their movements, having their divisive arguments and giving them eyeballs and attention. At the same time, the god they serve has plenty of the themes of 1984 - constant surveillance, total control of the message, incredible degree of power over your business/personal life and ability to deplatform you. Big Brother had to use a network of Telescreens. Now we just give it all up for free in glorious technicolour. This feels especially stark having been at the “skeptic” end of the covid debate this year.