Library:The Chaos Machine
| The Chaos Machine | |
|---|---|
| Author | Max Fisher |
| First published | 2022 |
| ISBN | 978-0-316-70332-1 unverified |
| Role | Analysis |
| Domains | Technology & Media Politics & Elections |
| Tactics | Manipulation Propaganda Technique |
The Chaos Machine is a 2022 book by Max Fisher.
Summary
Max Fisher, a reporter for The New York Times, investigates how social media platforms have shaped beliefs and behavior around the world. The book's subtitle is The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World.
Engagement by design
Fisher argues that platforms optimized for engagement systematically amplify content that provokes outrage, fear and moral indignation, because such content keeps users scrolling. He draws on internal company documents, interviews with engineers and researchers, and academic studies.
Global consequences
The book follows how online rumors and hate speech contributed to real-world violence, including in Myanmar, where Facebook was linked to the spread of incitement against the Rohingya, and in Sri Lanka. It also covers the role of YouTube recommendations in drawing users toward extreme content, and the spread of conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic and around elections in the United States and Brazil.
Company responses
Fisher describes how platform executives often dismissed warnings from their own staff and outside researchers, and how changes were frequently made only after public pressure.
Relevance to Bullshitopedia
The book shows how the design of platforms, not just individual bad actors, can accelerate misinformation. It provides context for many entries about viral falsehoods and their consequences.