Blue Tick: How our social media transformed how we feel about one another

Blue Tick. Patrick Crowder. Northside House.

Blue Tick examines how the rise of social media and messaging services has affected society. Drawing on conversations with insiders, moral philosophers, theologians, and behavioural psychologists, Crowder forms a new compelling picture of the way that we as humans interact through technology.

The infamous “blue ticks”, which appear on Whatsapp and most other messaging services are useful for knowing if your message has been received. However, they can also lead to anxiety for the sender, and pressure to respond on the part of the receiver. How did these blue ticks come about, and how do they affect our communication?

Facebook may ask you a seemingly innocuous question, such as “What is your favourite song?”, but why are other questions asking about favourite types of bird, or favourite styles of architecture left out? This book will answer these questions, as well as issues of morality, wellbeing, and shifting societal norms. It will also ask a more important question – is there another way?