Social networks can be extremely dangerous – whether or not you use them. The hatred and rabble-rousing that can be found there spill over into our everyday lives. Massive shitstorms can be witnessed.
Nicole Diekmann analyzes the dynamics behind these phenomena: Who’s behind campaigns like these? How are they staged? What are they trying to accomplish? And what has to happen to put a stop to the intimidation and violence?
Her book is both analysis and instruction manual: Nicole Diekmann reveals how politics and journalism have contributed to the fact that Facebook, Twitter et al. have barely lifted a finger against the mob that is flooding the internet with hate. And she describes what a massive, brutal shitstorm feels like when it hits you personally, why the public still underestimates social networks, how the tech giants profit from them unabashedly – and what paths can lead us out of this risky dilemma.
“Nicole Diekmann’s fantastic book – clear, precise, emphatic, and smart – is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand and internalize what excessive, boundless, and uncontrolled hatred on social media does to us as individuals and as a society.” – Igor Levit
