{"id":2082902,"date":"2023-10-29T05:03:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T09:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/slouching-towards-bethlememe-taylor-lorenz-explains-the-internet\/"},"modified":"2023-10-29T05:13:11","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T09:13:11","slug":"slouching-towards-bethlememe-taylor-lorenz-explains-the-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/slouching-towards-bethlememe-taylor-lorenz-explains-the-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"Taylor Lorenz breaks down the internet&#8217;s journey in Slouching Towards BethleMeme."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fslouching-towards-bethlememe-taylor-lorenz-explains-the-internet%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2082902&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Engaging Paraphrase of\u200d the\u2062 Text:<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Unleashing \u2064the Untold Story of Fame, Influence,\u200b and Power on the Internet<\/h3>\n<p>In 1968, Joan \u200cDidion shook the literary world with \u200cher essay collection,\u200c <em>Slouching Towards Bethlehem<\/em>. It brilliantly captured \u2063the disoriented lives \u200dof young people amidst\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/is-america-doomed-alarming-polls-of-pro-socialism-pro-violence-gen-z-say-so\/\" title=\"Is America Doomed? Alarming Polls of Pro-Socialism, Pro-Violence Gen Z Say So\">social unrest<\/a>\u200d and global turmoil. Now, imagine if a writer \u2062like Taylor Lorenz, a chronicler \u200bof teen internet\u2064 trends, could channel Didion&#8217;s detached yet empathetic critique to shed light on today&#8217;s \u200baimless generation and their penchant for self-indulgence.<\/p>\n<p>Lorenz&#8217;s\u200c <em>Extremely \u2063Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and \u200cPower on the Internet<\/em> attempts \u200bto be a chronicle of this incoherent\u2063 youth. However,\u200c it\u2063 falls short of being a worthwhile book in the conventional sense. While future historians might consider\u200c it a crucial primary text in the &#8220;History of the Decline and Fall of the American Empire,&#8221; for most mentally stable \u2063individuals today, it&#8217;s simply uninteresting and incomprehensible. A resounding &#8220;who?&#8221; \u200bfollowed by\u2062 a dismissive &#8220;who \u2064cares?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Written\u2063 in the breathless style of an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/slouching-towards-bethlememe-taylor-lorenz-explains-the-internet\/\" title=\"Taylor Lorenz breaks down the internet's journey in Slouching Towards BethleMeme.\">internet-addicted pre-teen \u2063fueled<\/a> by\u2063 both caffeine and \u200dAdderall, the book bombards readers with\u2062 unfamiliar words and\u2062 names that \u200dyou&#8217;ll \u2062wish you never encountered. It&#8217;s a dizzying array of terms \u2064like DigiTour, ROFLCon, A\u2064 Night to ReMEMEber, lifecasting, ceWEBrities, FameBall, Webutante, Young Klout Gang, Keemstar, Dramageddon, Hype House, Drib Crib, Vlog Squad, FaZe Clan, \u2062GrapeStory, Lilhuddy, Dax Flame, Pokimane, Fred Figglehorn, WhataDayDerek, Lonelygirl15, Vsauce, Smosh, TheBdonski, and many more.<\/p>\n<p>Lorenz believes that the rise of social media \u2063and\u2063 the emergence of &#8220;influencing&#8221; or &#8220;content creating&#8221; \u2064have brought\u2062 about the greatest and most disruptive change in modern capitalism. She sees it as a socially and economically liberating force \u2063for millions, including \u200bteenagers who \u2062prefer not\u2063 to\u2062 pursue traditional \u2063careers. However, \u200b <em>Extremely Online<\/em> is \u200bless a social history and\u200b more a joyless \u2064account of how tech and marketing\u200d executives learned to\u200c exploit young creators\u2064 for\u2064 profit. It&#8217;s like \u2063Trident paying unknown teenagers to sing about gum while clutching a pink \u2062teddy bear. Revolutionary indeed.<\/p>\n<p>Lorenz praises\u200b these so-called content creators \u200cas visionary entrepreneurs who turned \u2062their &#8220;likes&#8221; into money, akin\u200c to \u200bhow former president \u2062Donald Trump used \u200btabloids. Yet, she fails to acknowledge the \u200dprofound impact the internet \u200crevolution\u200c has had \u200con\u2062 society, as if\u2063 she were the author of a book titled <em>Fun\u2062 Way to Enjoy Fentanyl with Your Family<\/em>. Dogs and cats \u200dwith merchandise lines, viral videos glorifying assault and tragedy, an entire generation addicted to\u2062 Chinese spyware\u2014humanity&#8217;s darkest impulses \u200dhave been \u2063monetized.<\/p>\n<p>The book cries\u200c out for\u200c the \u2063wry and scathing treatment of an outsider, someone\u2064 like Didion or Tom Wolfe. Interestingly, one of the early influencers quoted in\u2062 the book even cites Wolfe as an inspiration, recognizing his iconic status as a \u200dbrand. But Lorenz, being \u2064extremely \u200bonline herself, lacks the critical perspective\u2064 needed. She hails Paris Hilton\u200d as a &#8220;visionary&#8221; for teaching ordinary Americans how to be\u2063 famous for \u2062being famous, all\u2062 while celebrating the demise of &#8220;legacy media&#8221;\u2063 despite\u200d her\u2062 own affiliations with the <em>Washington\u200d Post<\/em>, Simon &#038; \u200cSchuster, and MSNBC. The future\u200c may seem bright, but it&#8217;s far from it.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re\u200c seeking a book \u200dthat challenges \u2064your belief in capitalism&#8217;s goodness in the internet age, making you wish you were\u2063 born\u200d in the\u2064 Bronze Age, then <em>Extremely Online<\/em> is \u2062the book for you. But please,\u200c for the love of God, step outside and embrace the real world.<\/p>\n<p><em>Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, \u200bInfluence,\u2062 and\u2064 Power on the Internet<\/em><br \/>  by Taylor Lorenz<br \/> Simon &#038;\u200d Schuster, 384 pp., \u200b$29.99<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> In what ways does Taylor Lorenz&#8217;s \u200bportrayal of the internet culture in &#8220;Extremely\u2062 Online&#8221; lack depth and critical analysis, leaving\u2062 readers feeling\u200b overwhelmed\u2062 and disconnected from the subject \u200cmatter<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ers. However, her portrayal of this phenomenon lacks depth and \u200ccritical \u200danalysis.\u200b Instead, the book reads like a laundry list of names and buzzwords, \u2063leaving readers feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from the \u2064subject matter.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, \u200c\u2063Lorenz&#8217;s attempt \u200dto emulate Didion&#8217;s detached yet empathetic critique falls flat.\u2064 Instead of providing a nuanced understanding \u2064of the aimless generation and their penchant\u200b for self-indulgence, the book comes across as judgmental and dismissive. It fails to capture the complexities and nuances of the internet culture it \u2064seeks to \u2063explore.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the book&#8217;s organization is haphazard and confusing. Rather than presenting a clear narrative, it jumps from one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ye-west-launches-latest-anti-semitic-tirade-during-interview-with-chris-cuomo\/\" title=\"Ye West Launches Latest Anti-Semitic Tirade During Interview With Chris Cuomo\">seemingly unrelated topic<\/a> to another, \u2062leaving readers struggling to piece together a coherent \u200cpicture\u2062 of the subject. This lack of structure undermines the \u200bbook&#8217;s\u2063 overall effectiveness and makes \u2062it difficult for readers to engage with the \u200bcontent.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, while\u2062 Taylor Lorenz&#8217;s <em>Extremely \u2063Online: The Untold Story of Fame, \u200dInfluence, and \u200cPower on the Internet<\/em> promises \u2064to shed light on the incoherent youth of \u2062today and their \u2062relationship \u2062with fame and influence, it ultimately falls \u2063short of \u2063delivering \u2062a worthwhile and compelling analysis. Its \u200black of \u2063depth, \u200cjudgmental tone, and disorganized presentation make it an uninteresting and incomprehensible read for\u2064 most readers. For those looking to truly understand the complexities of internet culture and \u200bits impact on society, there are better\u200b sources available.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>Engaging Paraphrase of\u200d the\u2062 Text:<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Unveiling the Untold Tale\u200b of Celebrity, Authority,\u200b and Potency on the Web<\/h3>\n<p>Back in 1968, Joan \u200cDidion made a seismic\u200b impact on the world of \u200cliterature with \u200cher collection of essays,\u200c <em>Slouching Towards Bethlehem<\/em>. It brilliantly captured \u2063the disoriented existence \u200dof young individuals in \u2064the midst of social unrest\u200d and\u200b global chaos. Now, just imagine if a writer \u2062like Taylor Lorenz, known for documenting the online trends of teenagers, could harness \u2063Didion&#8217;s detached yet compassionate perspective to bring\u2063 to light the directionless generation of today and their inclination \u200bfor\u2064 self-indulgence.<\/p>\n<p>Lorenz&#8217;s\u200c <em>Extremely\u200d \u2063Online: The Untold\u2063 Story of Fame, Influence,\u2063 and \u200cPower on the Internet<\/em> aims to be a comprehensive\u2062 account\u2062 of this disjointed\u2063 \u200cyouth. Nevertheless,\u200c it\u2063\u200b falls short of being a \u200dcompelling book in\u2063 the traditional sense. While \u2064future historians\u200d might consider\u200c it an essential primary text in the &#8220;History of the Decline and Fall of the American Empire,&#8221; for most mentally stable \u200d\u2063individuals today, it&#8217;s simply\u2062 uninteresting and incomprehensible. It prompts a resounding &#8220;who?&#8221; \u200bfollowed by\u2062 a dismissive &#8220;who \u2064cares?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Written\u2063 in the frenzied style of an internet-addicted adolescent fueled by\u2063 \u200dboth caffeine and \u200dAdderall, the book\u200c inundates readers with\u2062 unfamiliar terminology and\u2062 names that \u200dyou&#8217;ll \u2062regret ever encountering. It presents an overwhelming array of terms \u2064like DigiTour, ROFLCon, A\u2064 Night to ReMEMEber, lifecasting, ceWEBrities,\u200c FameBall, Webutante, Young Klout Gang, Keemstar, Dramageddon, \u200dHype House, Drib Crib,\u2064 Vlog Squad, FaZe Clan, \u2062GrapeStory, Lilhuddy, Dax Flame, \u200bPokimane,\u200d Fred Figglehorn, \u200cWhataDayDerek, \u200bLonelygirl15, Vsauce, Smosh, TheBdonski,\u200c and many more.<\/p>\n<p>Lorenz contends that the advent of social media \u2063and\u2063 the rise of \u2063&#8221;influencing&#8221; or &#8220;content\u200b creating&#8221; \u2064have brought\u2062 about the most significant and disruptive change in modern capitalism. She sees it as a liberating force \u2063for \u2062millions, including \u200bteenagers who \u2062choose not\u2063 to\u2062 follow traditional \u2063career paths. However, her \u2063portrayal lacks\u2064 depth\u2064 and critical analysis. Instead of providing \u2064a nuanced understanding of the aimless generation and their proclivity\u2064 for \u2062self-indulgence, the book comes\u2064 across as judgmental and dismissive. It fails to encapsulate the complexities\u200c and subtleties of the internet culture it aims to examine.<\/p>\n<p>In addition,\u200c the\u2064 book&#8217;s \u200bstructure is chaotic and bewildering. Rather than presenting a coherent narrative, it leaps from one seemingly unrelated topic to \u2063the next,\u200b leaving readers\u200d struggling to connect the\u2064 pieces and form a cohesive picture of the subject.\u2064 This lack of organization undermines\u2062 the\u2064 book&#8217;s overall effectiveness and makes it challenging \u2064for readers \u2063to engage with the material.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, while Taylor Lorenz&#8217;s <em>Extremely \u2063Online: \u200dThe \u200bUntold Story of Fame, Influence, \u2062and \u200cPower\u2063 on the Internet<\/em> promises to shed light on today&#8217;s incoherent\u200d youth and their\u2062 relationship with fame and influence, it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/victorias-secrets-diversity-rebrand-is-unrecognizable-and-out-of-touch\/\" title=\"Victoria's Secret's rebranding for 'diversity' is unrecognizable and disconnected.\">ultimately falls short<\/a> of delivering a compelling and worthwhile analysis. Its lack of depth,\u2062 judgmental tone, and disorganized presentation render it an uninspiring and \u2062incomprehensible \u200cread \u2063for most individuals. For those seeking a true understanding of the intricacies \u2064of internet culture and its societal impact, better sources are available.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Joan Didion&#8217;s 1968 essay collection, Slouching Towards Bethlehem, earned acclaim for its powerful portrayal of disoriented youth amidst societal turmoil. Unlike Taylor Lorenz, the 39-year-old observer of online teen trends, a more skilled writer could potentially capture Didion&#8217;s detached perspective.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":97,"featured_media":2082903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2082902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2082902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/97"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2082902"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2082902\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2082903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2082902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2082902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2082902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}