In 2012, a confluence of events in the burgeoning Social Media space inspired the coming together of one of my favourite articles.

It was just one of those unintended moments when a book, a magazine article, a nightly news piece and one of the world’s most anticipated stock market floats gelled. The icing was having it picked up by one of Australia’s award-winning weekly newspapers.

What’s uncanny, is that eight years later, Netflix has seen fit to produce a powerhouse of a documentary called The Social Dilemma. Watching it just now, I nearly fell off my chair when I realised I’d not only foreshadowed its very underpinnings, I’d read and quoted one of its key participants.

So, rather than transcribing it here, I thought I’d simply post it as it appeared in the paper below. A pinch and zoom capable device may make it more readable if need be (the irony). I hope you enjoy. Its message is more relevant than it’s ever been.

© 2020 Adam Parker.

Picture credit: © 2012 The graphics team at the award-winning AJN can make anyone’s prose pop.