An Important Novel for Our Generation: The Circle

As an English major, obviously most of my assignments involve reading or writing. For my advanced study in Digital Rhetoric class, we are currently reading a novel called The Circle written by Dave Eggers. This novel is essential for everyone in our generation to read, as it details the truly awful potential outcome social media could have on us as a society.
The Circle is a warning novel. It starts with the protagonist, Mae, landing a job at this influential company, the Circle. At this point, the circle has taken over Google, Facebook, and many other companies we know and use everyday. Mae starts off as a shy “newbie” (as they call them), working in Customer Experience. As the book progresses, things get weird. Mae is chastised for leaving the company’s campus for the weekend, and for not attending certain social events. She quickly changes her behavior, and makes sure to participate more in events on campus.
She has a few strange encounters with fellow “circlers”, her parents, and an ex boyfriend throughout the novel. However, one character in particular stands out. His name is Kalden, and he warns Mae about the potential disaster that could come with “completion of the circle”, a goal the company is working towards.
At this point in the novel, almost everyone has gone “transparent”. This means that they walk around with little cameras around their necks, or have cameras in their rooms so everyone can see what their doing, this way everyone knows they have nothing to hide. After Mae goes transparent, her ratings are through the roof. At any given point, she could have up to millions of people watching her. She thrives on the attention of these strangers, but is slowly seeing how this transparency is affecting her real relationships. When she visits her parents, their interactions are stifled and fake. She has the same experience when talking with her friend Annie, who got her the job at the circle.
Without giving away the ending, Mae’s warnings from Kalden turn out to be very legitimate. Mae finds herself submersed in this potentially apocalyptic situation, and has to do whatever it takes to get out of it.
The Circle has left me very aware of the problems that can come from a society revolving around constant connection. As we live our lives with cell phones, laptops, and social media reigning over everything that we do it makes me fear we are working towards a similar future, which is why its important for everyone to read this novel and remember the importance of personal relationships.

I think this weekend I’ll take a hike outside and leave my phone at home.