Superbloom

 Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart by Nicholad Carr, © 2025, 272 pgs. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I loved everything about this book. Nicholas Carr takes the title from a 2023 news story about a canyon in California that experiences a surprise 'superbloom' of poppies, due to excessive moisture in the region. The natural phenomenon turns into chaos, as hordes of influencers descend upon the canyon, take selfies and trample flowers, ultimately causing authorities to limit access to the area--and finally causing blowback on the influencers for the stunt in the first place. Carr asks--if communication technologies are typically viewed as something to democratize mass media, thereby making us more free, more safe and more connected--then why is the opposite happening? Why are we separating from our loved ones over culture, why are kids becoming screen-zombies, and why can't our politicians actually connect on solving issues? Carr takes us on a well-researched look back into the beginnings of communication tech and how we got to now. This is practically a philosophical treatise on the inequities of digital communication and how, in the internet's current version, it's tearing apart the fabric of society one thread at a time. There is much to learn here and the prose is thoughtful without being overwrought. My favorite line, in reference to the allure of social media: "Poppies are lush, vibrant, and entrancing. They're also garish, invasive, and narcotic." A must read for anyone who's questioned why our society has gone mad.