Feed

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What is an example of a piece of new, computer-based technology that you use frequently? How does it make your life better or easier?  How would it create problems for you if you suddenly lost it? If you could buy any existing technology, what would you choose and why?

Teaching Suggestion: Like the characters in the novel, many people are reliant on commonly used computer technology for communication, research, news, and entertainment. Reflecting on the ways they are reliant can help students to relate to the way Titus and his friends have adapted and become addicted to the feed. Additionally, students should consider the way technological advancements are driven by consumerism, always pushing people to spend money on the next new thing. This question addresses the theme The Corrupting Force of Technology.

• In “Measuring Smartphone Dependency and Exploration of Consequences and Comorbidities,” researchers examine some of the mental and physical health problems that arise as a result of reliance on smartphones.
• “Facebook Whistleblower Revealed, Says Social Network ‘Chooses Profit Over Safety,’” published in PC Magazine, discusses the 2021 revelations by former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen and the ways the social media site causes harm and spreads misinformation for the sake of profit, much like the corporations in Feed.