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Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite
Scamageddon: The Grand Unified Theory of Why Our World Sucks – and How to Stop the Suck by Mykl Davis is an attempt to alert us of the pernicious path to destruction that we are all on. The author, as a computer technician, uses social media and the internet, in general, to point out how we have allowed ourselves to be manipulated into despising and hating each other and each other’s point of view. He points out that it is not the Conservatives, the Democrats, or the Liberals that are doing the manipulating; the manipulators cross all political spectrums. We are being manipulated by a group he chooses to call the Predators. The author points out that predators in one shape or another have existed throughout millennia of human existence and are the very reason we have banded together to form civil societies and created rules to control and eliminate their behavior. What he is postulating is that social media and the internet, both of which were promulgated with the most benign and altruistic intentions, are now being used as powerful tools by the Predators to turn us against each other. All the Predators want is power, wealth, and status, with no concern for the havoc they cause the rest of humanity.
Scamageddon is a fascinating read. It articulates many of the feelings that the vast majority of us have, especially about social media and the effect it is having on our beliefs and actions. Author Mykl Davis has been intimately involved in the work of creating these platforms and speaks with some authority about how the initial good intentions of the platforms have been weaponized by the Predators. What I particularly like is that the book goes through the full gamut of how we ended up in this perilous position. The one common denominator in all of human history is the Predator and what the internet and social media have been able to do is supercharge the Predators' reach, power, and influence. The author identifies how these predators capture those in our society who are not able to think critically and then exponentially increase their reach and influence by utilizing these mindless drones to spread their disinformation, lies, and conspiracy theories. It is chilling to realize that this polarization of society is only going to get worse as Artificial Intelligence gains a great hold on the internet and social media. The author suggests this is not inevitable and offers practical ways in which those of us tired of being manipulated can fight back against the Predators. This is an eye-opening and thought-provoking book that should be on everyone’s must-read list. Highly recommended.