Pressure And The Loss Of Autonomy In Feed By M. T. Anderson

Peer Pressure and the Loss of Autonomy The novel Feed by M.T. Anderson portrays peer pressure in many fascinating ways. The relationships between characters, different trends throughout the book, and the loss of autonomy present a warning about the harmful effects of peer pressure and how it evolves at a rapid rate. With the development and overreliance on technology occurring very quickly, Feed illustrates how constant stimulation and instant gratification can promote pressures to be the smartest, to conform and fit in, and even an economic pressure to have the newest and trendiest items. This all leads to a loss of personal identity, critical thinking, and genuine human connection in our modern-day society. Relationships

Conformity is portrayed as a desirable trait, and those who deviate from the norm are often seen as weird or abnormal. This pressure is reinforced by the media and advertising, which constantly promote the latest trends and fashions that promise to make people more popular and accepted. How you act and talk also affects how popular you seem. Violet explains, “I love the great feeling of Coke’s carbonation going down my throat, all the pain like… It’s like sweet gravel. It’s like a bunch of itsy-bitsy commuters running for a shuttle in my windpipe” (161). She is just trying to contribute to the conversation and fit into the group, but because of her intellect, she makes points that most or all do not understand, which backfires and causes her to be perceived as an outcast trying to fit in. Violet never notices how different she is until she tries to hang out again with Titus and his friends back on earth. Her social norms are different from the others since she is homeschooled, and she wants to learn about the real world, not just the world, through the feed. Titus and his friends often bully and ostracize those who are different or unpopular. They judge people based on their ability to fit in with the group rather than on their individuality or uniqueness. This leads to a lack of

Economic peer pressure is illustrated throughout the novel with the character’s constant need to purchase and consume the latest products and technology. Titus and his friends are obsessed with having the latest and most advanced feeds. They judge each other based on their ability to afford the latest products and feel left out and inferior if they cannot keep up with each other. Titus explains, “We all have to get things to keep up with everyone else. Like, everyone has a badge. So you have to have one too. And everyone has to get the newest cars” (10). If individual economic pressures weren’t enough, the Feed and the supporting corporations learn the interest and desires of the characters. With this information, those implanted with the Feed are constantly bombarded with personalized advertisements, manipulating them into consuming their products. This further reinforces the idea that their worth is tied to their consumption habits. “We were all trying to keep up with each other. The feeds were a big part of that. It wasn’t just the stuff we could buy. It was what we could show off. It was our personal styles, our brand names, our accessories” (53). This pressure is so intense that even when Titus and his friends are faced with evidence that the feed is causing harm to their health and well-being, they are hesitant to