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This is how the ideology of transparency gave birth to the surveillance society, and how the dream of a free market gave birth to contractual slavery. Western democracies, riddled with cynicism and inequality, have opened the door to what they feared most: an elegant, connected, profitable authoritarianism. GAFAM— once simple companies— have become the architects of a world without citizens, populated by docile users and souls on subscription. This world did not arise from a coup d’ état, but from a collective click. It was not dictatorship that conquered democracy— it was democracies that handed over the key. And now, in the digital deserts of the 21st century, a new generation is preparing for the final battle: that of the future against the system, that of humans against their virtual creators, who have quickly suffocated reality, making it conform to an ideal of imposture where populism rhymes with capitalism. So instead of getting lost in all these isms, we at Flashmag must finally be able to tell the story of the world we are inexorably heading towards. Narrative matters more than ever; the understanding of the global populace is being put to the test; so we must tell them beautiful stories, as we used to do for children at bedtime, so that they wake up to what we hope will be a new day.
The abrupt awakening from a manipulative dream
Flashmag! Edition 166 Novembre 2025
While we were staring at our smartphone screens, the world became like The Matrix. Screens are no longer windows; they are portals. The flow does not inform; it conditions. Augmented reality glasses do not superimpose reality; they replace it.
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