Smithereens

A rideshare driver takes an employee of a social media company hostage, exposing the dark side of tech addiction and corporate power.

Fictional Tech/Societal Changes

• 📱✔Social media addiction
• 👁️✔Corporate surveillance
• 🔹✔Tech company accountability

How Close Are We?

Social media addiction is a recognized mental health issue, with platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok designed to maximize engagement. Tech companies face increasing scrutiny over user data, privacy, and their impact on mental health. Whistleblowers and government investigations have exposed the power and influence of social media giants. Hostage situations involving tech employees are rare, but the societal issues depicted are very real and widely discussed.

Sources

• The Guardian: Social media addiction and mental health
• Wired: Tech company accountability and whistleblowers
• NYT: The power of social media companies