Feed reminded me of the people in WALL-E who spent their lives sitting on mobile chairs, having all their needs taken care of. Of course, the people in Feed do walk around, and they’re on earth (mostly) not on a spaceship. Still, the inability, or at least the disinclination, to think for oneself, is the same.
The feed is a computer implant, which both brings in information and keeps track of all ones thoughts, moods, feelings. It’s like a combination of having Google in your head and that scene from Minority Report where the protagonist walks into a store and holograms keep popping up greeting him by name and recommending items based on his past purchases and lifestyle.
The story revolves around a small group of teens, two in particular – Titus and Violet. They meet on the moon while on Spring Break. Violet isn’t like the other teenagers Titus knows. She voices thoughts and opinions that seem at odds with the normal feed chatter. He is both drawn to and put off by her.
When Violet’s health is threatened, Titus must decide whether to stand by her or return to his shallower, easier-to-deal-with, frivolous group.
While this is a Young Adult book and the main characters are teenagers, the possibility that our immediate descendants may be hardwired to the internet is of concern to us all. The future belongs to everyone.