RaveThe Irish Independent (IRE)In less assured hands, this claim might read as hyperbolic and not dissimilar in tenor to the fevered pitch of much online discourse. Fisher, however, is a seasoned journalist who has covered the rise of social media for many years. Unlike online ‘flame wars’ that burn brightly but have the intellectual depth of a puddle, his analysis is well argued, engaging and often necessarily discomforting ... The Chaos Machine’s greatest achievement is perhaps how skilfully it traces seemingly disparate phenomena — Gamergate, QAnon, civil unrest in Myanmar, rising polarisation in the West, thriving anti-vax Facebook groups among many examples — back to the design of social media platforms that prioritise engagement at all costs ... Fisher’s experiences as a journalist with rare access to social media executives is revealing ... joins a stable of modern journalism that captures not only the harms of social media in its current guise but also offers potential solutions. At a time when calls for the regulation of platforms is growing ever louder, Fisher makes an urgent, compelling case for change.
