Terms Of Service Jacob Silverman Analysis

Jacob Silverman’s Terms of Service provides a unique perspective on the evolution of social media and the effects it is having on society. Not only are corporations using the information posted on social media to bombard users with advertisements, the demand to be noticed has forced users to falsely portray their life in order to increase popularity among their followers. With more and more of our lives migrating to various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, it can be very easy to lose one’s self in someone else’s reality. In Jacob Silverman’s Terms of Service, he implies that social media has completely transformed society to be more narcissistic and dwell on false perceptions of reality.
Silverman draws attention
The system of “likes” built into every post allows users to fuel their ego through the approval from their followers. He states, “Social media depends on recognition-more specifically-on acts of recognition” (Silverman 48). Silverman is implying that social media is reliant on the narcissism of its users. By posting, users are asking for attention, lusting after the “like” and the seal approval that comes with it. Additionally, Silverman says, “The achievement of social-media evangelists is to make this urge-the urge to share simply so others might know you are there, that you’re doing this thing, that you’re with this person, that you’ve had this thought, that you have some urgent opinion on what’s trending-second nature” (Silverman 47). This idea that sharing is all about the poster, not about the content, supports Silverman’s hidden theme of narcissism. Furthermore, Silverman states that the user must immediately think of posting on social media, regardless of the topic. This incredible infatuation with approval supports Silverman’s theme of social media turning society more
Since anyone can post anything on social media, there is no way to validate any claims made. Users are free to portray their lives as they see fit, however realistic or fake that may be. This theme is supported by a quote from Peter Thiel that Silverman uses in his novel. The quote reads, “The Facebook investor has said that Myspace was ‘about being someone fake on the Internet; everyone could be a movie star’” (Silverman 9). In other words, anyone could pretend that they were living a lavish lifestyle, supporting Silverman’s underlying theme. A more exciting life will naturally attract more attention on social media than a “normal” life. This desire for attention is what drives users to stretch the truth when posting online, causing them to fabricate a false reality that is much less interesting than true reality. This false persona that users create to make their lives seem more interesting supports Silverman’s theme that social media has caused users to remain stuck in false realities.
Jacob Silverman’s novel Terms of Service highlights the major changes social media has contributed to society over the past couple years. Underneath the surface, Silverman hides two themes that are supported throughout his text. Social media has taken the internet by storm, causing society to be more narcissistic and allow users to create their own perfect