i love a book that makes me think and QUALITYLAND sure made the brain churn.

in this book, where the world is much like this one that we live in - dystopic and hellish - the crux of the matter is the freedoms we have as users of technology that purport to be objective. when truly, objectivity doesn’t exist, so long as the thing claimed to be objective is touched by biased human hands. and, the idea of algorithms that keep us chained to our past selves (i liked x and so i will likely enjoy other x-adjacent things). the insular bubble, the coziness of having your opinions reflected back to you as Truth or Fact are issues that are so present in today’s living that QUALITYLAND was difficult to read at times.

but also it was good timing to be reading this. i experience discomfort at the workplace because i work with white, privileged, middle class people and when politics are discussed, it makes me queasy that some of them differ in political opinion from me. still on the fence whether that’s okay because hey, on one hand it’s reasonable to be against increase in property tax, but on the other, their stance on trans people can actually be life threatening. but. respect all political views, riiiight? (when i put it this way, maybe not)

human growth and capacity for change is arguably a major part of being human! imagine if you, cringe as you are at fourteen, still enjoy the same old things at twenty four!!!! that’s repulsive to me!