Jacob, a student of Physics in Athens, spends his entire day with dragons, dark battles, wanderings in the land of fire and the land of ice, having created a character he admires and wishes he could be like himself, all within... a video game!
However, outside of the game, Jacob is a young man of his generation, hooked on the standards of the time, disoriented from his goals, and cut off from the rest of the world. He seeks to find meaning in his life, and as long as he doesn't find it, he continues to expend himself on whatever his phone throws at him. His life mirrors an entire generation of people struggling to break free from the shackles of society. The traps of our time lure us with large doses of dopamine, imprisoning us through rapid changes, easy choices, and the incessant information bombarding our phones.
In a world with frenzied pace, where things constantly demand our attention, how free are we really to think? Or does the internet decide what we will think about? Ultimately, do we choose what has true meaning for us, or do we end up being swallowed by the trends of the time?
The author captures in her novel the traps of society that keep us captive and unfree.
"I have tried very hard to find myself, to understand my inclinations, what I like, my talents. For you, it's different, I envy you. You were always one of those kids who knew what they wanted in life. And I admire that. Today I say I want this, and tomorrow I want something else, and I don't know why this happens to me, why I experience this, but I can't commit to anything. I can't find any motivation to live a 'proper' life, as they tell me. To do what? To achieve what exactly? To live a life pre-ordained within their boxes?"
"And what life would you like to live, Jacob?"
"A more exciting one," he replied vaguely.
"Make this life exciting," Freedom replied after a moment.
