OptionalFiction

Yes, this is very cliché. My inspiration were all the YA dystopian stories most of which aren't any better. Maybe I'll try my hands again at a smarter dystopia on one of the remaining days… Inspiration for the mechanics obviously comes from the many Dark patterns used on the internet, specifically social media. Randomized rewards, free samples, an opaque system of multiple different currencies, social reciprocity in combination with streaks, etc. Then there's the classic trope of people not having names, with Sina just being an interpretation of her address (S1N4) and of course one company owning everything. But what was most important to me here was to portray Sina as not only content, but maybe even happy in this system. People addicted to social media tell themselves (and sometimes others) that they actually enjoy it. A minority of gamers is in favour of loot boxes not because they think it's a fair business model, but because they like buying them. People working at “hip” tech firms with bean bags in the office claim they enjoy working with “friends” and like staying late at the office “for the atmosphere”. I'm too cynical to believe such happiness to be “real” (whatever that means), but I'm also realist enough to know that all that could get me too. Should we go work at Fenco and be as happy as Sina, or do we need to free Sina? Is doing neither a fair option?

Sina “unzipping” the meal just came to me, but I think that's really good. It's so weird.