Shortlisted for the public vote at the Skroutz Book Awards 2026.
“Others cover opening ceremonies as journalists: official guests, photo ops, ribbons. I arrive at the celebration when there are scraps on the floor.” With these words, the author takes us on a tour of the end of the democratic experiment of social media.
The book analyses the many ways (such as algorithmic manipulation, crusades against “misinformation,” the complete lack of accountability for platforms, secret deals with states and corporations, and the surveillance-like nature of online discussion compared with television) in which the promise of equal access to the public sphere—a central promise of the technological age—is ensured to remain an empty one.
This concerns not only political news, but all communication, from professional life to entertainment and culture. The book was prompted by the combination of three observations: a) users are addicted to scrolling, b) they browse the internet through social media—in other words, they do not visit websites—and c) the process by which platforms promote, conceal or delete posts is completely opaque.
The combination of these three factors creates an explosive mix and explains how the establishment narrative can triumph even though we all have a mobile phone and an internet connection.
GUTENBERG POULIS A. KONSTANTINOS SOCIOLOGY GUTENBERG POULIS A. KONSTANTINOS
