M.T. Anderson's "Feed"

I’ve never been the biggest fan of Science Fiction novels (novels that project the future of mankind based on scientifically described discoveries or changes in earth’s social or physical environment). Nor would I consider myself a fan of sci-fi TV, movies, or really anything that involves unrealistic and far-fetched ideas. But, M. T. Anderson’s sci-fi novel, Feed seemed more to me like an outreach to society as a whole in regards to our irresponsibility when it comes to protecting the environment and relying so much on technology rather than the social skills that God blessed us with in the first place. Rather than being a novel written solely to amuse and entertain the minds of many sci-fi obsessed teens, the same teens who follow Star Trek, Star Wars, Battle star…whatever it’s called, Feed aims to grab the attention of teen readers, get them to envision the possible repercussions of their careless actions, and to recognize their role in society. I find the purpose of this novel much more useful and even educational than other science fiction works I’ve happen to get my hands on, reluctantly that is.

In the dystopian world Anderson has created in Feed, human beings are thought of as consumers first and people second. The title “Feed” refers to a chip that is imbedded in people’s brains at a very young age which allows them to be constantly connected to a “FeedNet.” Everyone’s thoughts are monitored at all times through the Feed, that information is then used to build consumer profiles and to almost spam them with constant pop-up ads having to do with popular products, governmental updates, and other news. These Feeds becomes such an important component in everyone’s growth and lives that to remove it could be fatal.

The story told in Feed centers around a teenage boy, Titus, who goes to the moon for his spring break with some friends. He meets Violet there, a girl who’s not like anyone he’s ever met. Violet’s family isn’t as well of as his, which is partly the reason, along with her parents’ concerns, for her not having the Feed installed until she was seven years old. Because she received the Feed at such a late age, she still has the memory of a world without constant mental spam which prompts her to ask questions, think outside the box a little more than Titus and trendy friends, and challenge the Feed’s power over herself.

Feed is told in first person narrative style, by Titus himself, a character who doesn't question the system of the Feed and doesn't happen to be the most articulate character either. Because of this style, we readers are forced to pay that much more attention and to decipher the meaning behind the many characters' comments, relationships, and trends of the world they live in.

This novel cautions its readers, many of whom consist of adolescents brainwashed by the consumer driven world we live in today, "think for yourself," "resist the norm," and "respect the environment." If the adolescents of today's world don't stop to appreciate the roots of humankind soon, it might not be unimaginable for that world we live in to become one more like that of what the characters in Feed experience, a world that devalues the existence of human beings altogether.