Ballard: Social Media's Digital High-Rise Vivisection

Philosophics — Philosophical and Political Ramblings · Jun 24, 2025 · 10m

Philosopher Bry Willis, who writes fiction as Ridley Park, shares an excerpt from "Ballard Was Already Logged In: Social Media as Digital High-Rise – Philosophics," presents a philosophical critique of social media, arguing that author J.G. Ballard presciently described its pathologies through his fictional works, particularly High-Rise and Crash. The author contends that Ballard's themes of isolation, curated identity, and destructive feedback loops mirror the contemporary experience of social platforms. It posits that social media platforms function as "autonomous systems masquerading as…