During my reading of Super Sad True Love Story one thing that consistently stood out for me was the character’s total lack of privacy. When Lenny is passing time on his flight from Italy to the United States he spends some time researching Eunice Park’s life. Through a short time’s scrolling he manages to discover a huge amount of information that would generally be considered private. He finds details of her recent purchases, photos from when she was still in school, and even the worth of her old house. While most of this information is accessible today, it would take hours of research, and even then certain things could not be found.

Though this may seem like a relatively innocent scene, I find it incredibly disturbing if only because of its feasibility. Almost everyone has a Facebook, a linked-in, or some other form of social media account. These accounts reveal the minutiae of our lives to anyone committed enough to find them. Already employers and universities research our online footprint during application processes. In the book, the fat man with no apparat is considered strange and alarming. Likewise, when I meet someone without a Facebook I instantly assume they have something to hide. Social media denies the average person from their right to anonymity, and the scene in the book feels like a worrying glimpse into a not-too-distant future.