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Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation

Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation

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Nov 12 2025, 9:06 PM
#1
I've been slowly reading this book by Andrew Marantz from 2019.

Quote:From a rising star at The New Yorker, a deeply immersive chronicle of how the optimistic entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley set out to create a free and democratic internet--and how the cynical propagandists of the alt-right exploited that freedom to propel the extreme into the mainstream.

Honestly so far it has been a really interesting read. If anyone thought the The Rhetoric Tricks, Traps, and Tactics of White Nationalism article was illuminating, I feel like this book digs deeper into that topic.

I think I'm only like four or five chapters in, but the author basically spent a lot of time scouring the "alt right" internet to see how Trumpism reigned supreme in the 2016 presidential election through the use of social media.

So far, this book has given me more to think about, in terms of online communities, like possibly what bothered me about places like Ovarit/Vexxed, ala their noble "place for all women" message and the right-wing Overton window shift many have felt they noticed there. I'm on my phone and perpetually tired, but I hope someday soon to write up my thoughts on specific excerpts from this book.

I'm also hoping that this book can help illuminate ways to defend against right-wing creep online and how to maintain left-wing communities.
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Nov 12 2025, 9:06 PM #1

I've been slowly reading this book by Andrew Marantz from 2019.

Quote:From a rising star at The New Yorker, a deeply immersive chronicle of how the optimistic entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley set out to create a free and democratic internet--and how the cynical propagandists of the alt-right exploited that freedom to propel the extreme into the mainstream.

Honestly so far it has been a really interesting read. If anyone thought the The Rhetoric Tricks, Traps, and Tactics of White Nationalism article was illuminating, I feel like this book digs deeper into that topic.

I think I'm only like four or five chapters in, but the author basically spent a lot of time scouring the "alt right" internet to see how Trumpism reigned supreme in the 2016 presidential election through the use of social media.

So far, this book has given me more to think about, in terms of online communities, like possibly what bothered me about places like Ovarit/Vexxed, ala their noble "place for all women" message and the right-wing Overton window shift many have felt they noticed there. I'm on my phone and perpetually tired, but I hope someday soon to write up my thoughts on specific excerpts from this book.

I'm also hoping that this book can help illuminate ways to defend against right-wing creep online and how to maintain left-wing communities.

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Nov 14 2025, 8:53 AM
#2
This sounds like one of those books I should read and that I would find interesting, but like I would feel so much rage while reading it, so I hesitate to get into it.
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Elsacat
Nov 14 2025, 8:53 AM #2

This sounds like one of those books I should read and that I would find interesting, but like I would feel so much rage while reading it, so I hesitate to get into it.

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Nov 16 2025, 12:14 AM
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(Nov 14 2025, 8:53 AM)Elsacat This sounds like one of those books I should read and that I would find interesting, but like I would feel so much rage while reading it, so I hesitate to get into it.

lol. Probably is a personal thing, but to be honest, I went in thinking the same thing, and for some reason I am... not feeling so shitty and enraged..? I don't know why... I really thought I would be, so I'm surprised. I think it is because I am viewing it from the perspective of "well, it happened, why did it happen?" and then my purpose for finding out the "why did it happen" is so that I can then ask "well, how can I help make it better?" Idk, lately I've been feeling generally better in life, maybe that is helping too. Maybe I haven't gotten to the enraging parts yet. :harold:

It's so weird. The first few chapters are about a bunch of alt-right online socialites partying at a MAGA event after Trump's 2016 win, the author details neo-nazis, racists, misogynists, and so on, and yet they're written in such a way that they feel... small. I don't feel enraged. They're "human," but not in the sense of "oh I empathize with them," absolutely not at all, there is nothing to empathize with, with these bizarre people, who are a collective mix of intelligently hateful and naively stupid. They're "human" in the sense of, like, they're not impossible to take down..? Idk. It's so weird. It's fascinating. It's like an observational documentary as a book.

I've been reading it on a kindle, so I can't copy/paste section of the book in a notes app like I could when I read books on Google Play Books with my phone to comment on later. And my memory has been kind of bad lately, so I often forget things the next day, but I think once I fully read through the book, I'll flip through my physical paperback to hopefully remember what I thought was relevant.

Some things I'm just going to jot down now before I inevitably forget:

  • Impress Polly and YYN were talking in a thread, something about a 4chan for women, Polly suggested. YYN disagreed, mentioned there didn't need to be more freezepeach dumpsters on the internet. (Also side note: I've been wanting to go in there and reply and let Polly know there is already somewhat of a female 4chan, I have learned, lol.) Anyway, the book mentions this in a way. About how the internet technolibertarians of Facebook/reddit/etc. basically opened the floodgates to altright crap by defending "well everyone has a right to say whatever" kind of online platforms.

  • I swear there were other points I wanted to write but I guess I have already forgotten. :catcry: Perhaps next time.
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Nov 16 2025, 12:14 AM #3

(Nov 14 2025, 8:53 AM)Elsacat This sounds like one of those books I should read and that I would find interesting, but like I would feel so much rage while reading it, so I hesitate to get into it.

lol. Probably is a personal thing, but to be honest, I went in thinking the same thing, and for some reason I am... not feeling so shitty and enraged..? I don't know why... I really thought I would be, so I'm surprised. I think it is because I am viewing it from the perspective of "well, it happened, why did it happen?" and then my purpose for finding out the "why did it happen" is so that I can then ask "well, how can I help make it better?" Idk, lately I've been feeling generally better in life, maybe that is helping too. Maybe I haven't gotten to the enraging parts yet. :harold:

It's so weird. The first few chapters are about a bunch of alt-right online socialites partying at a MAGA event after Trump's 2016 win, the author details neo-nazis, racists, misogynists, and so on, and yet they're written in such a way that they feel... small. I don't feel enraged. They're "human," but not in the sense of "oh I empathize with them," absolutely not at all, there is nothing to empathize with, with these bizarre people, who are a collective mix of intelligently hateful and naively stupid. They're "human" in the sense of, like, they're not impossible to take down..? Idk. It's so weird. It's fascinating. It's like an observational documentary as a book.

I've been reading it on a kindle, so I can't copy/paste section of the book in a notes app like I could when I read books on Google Play Books with my phone to comment on later. And my memory has been kind of bad lately, so I often forget things the next day, but I think once I fully read through the book, I'll flip through my physical paperback to hopefully remember what I thought was relevant.

Some things I'm just going to jot down now before I inevitably forget:

  • Impress Polly and YYN were talking in a thread, something about a 4chan for women, Polly suggested. YYN disagreed, mentioned there didn't need to be more freezepeach dumpsters on the internet. (Also side note: I've been wanting to go in there and reply and let Polly know there is already somewhat of a female 4chan, I have learned, lol.) Anyway, the book mentions this in a way. About how the internet technolibertarians of Facebook/reddit/etc. basically opened the floodgates to altright crap by defending "well everyone has a right to say whatever" kind of online platforms.

  • I swear there were other points I wanted to write but I guess I have already forgotten. :catcry: Perhaps next time.

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Dec 22 2025, 12:12 AM
#4
Holy shit y'all, I'm only like halfway, maybe even a little less than halfway, through this book, and we're already past Trump winning the election. Wtf is the other half about? Guess I'll find out slowly. 😭 Ngl I feel like it's kinda dragging on at this point but idk, we'll see.

I'm planning on writing up my thoughts at this point cuz otherwise I'm probably gonna forget even more than I already have what I wanted to talk about lol.

I plan on doing this like... tomorrow hopefully.
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Dec 22 2025, 12:12 AM #4

Holy shit y'all, I'm only like halfway, maybe even a little less than halfway, through this book, and we're already past Trump winning the election. Wtf is the other half about? Guess I'll find out slowly. 😭 Ngl I feel like it's kinda dragging on at this point but idk, we'll see.

I'm planning on writing up my thoughts at this point cuz otherwise I'm probably gonna forget even more than I already have what I wanted to talk about lol.

I plan on doing this like... tomorrow hopefully.

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Dec 23 2025, 3:53 PM
#5
(Dec 22 2025, 12:12 AM)Clover Holy shit y'all, I'm only like halfway, maybe even a little less than halfway, through this book, and we're already past Trump winning the election. Wtf is the other half about? Guess I'll find out slowly. 😭 Ngl I feel like it's kinda dragging on at this point but idk, we'll see.

I'm planning on writing up my thoughts at this point cuz otherwise I'm probably gonna forget even more than I already have what I wanted to talk about lol.

I plan on doing this like... tomorrow hopefully.

It does drag on at points but there's a really interesting chapter towards the end that follows the journey of this one woman in and out of the alt-right. There's some stuff about Reddit as well in the second half of the book, if I'm remembering correctly.
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Dec 23 2025, 3:53 PM #5

(Dec 22 2025, 12:12 AM)Clover Holy shit y'all, I'm only like halfway, maybe even a little less than halfway, through this book, and we're already past Trump winning the election. Wtf is the other half about? Guess I'll find out slowly. 😭 Ngl I feel like it's kinda dragging on at this point but idk, we'll see.

I'm planning on writing up my thoughts at this point cuz otherwise I'm probably gonna forget even more than I already have what I wanted to talk about lol.

I plan on doing this like... tomorrow hopefully.

It does drag on at points but there's a really interesting chapter towards the end that follows the journey of this one woman in and out of the alt-right. There's some stuff about Reddit as well in the second half of the book, if I'm remembering correctly.

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Dec 23 2025, 4:07 PM
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(Dec 23 2025, 3:53 PM)Magpie It does drag on at points but there's a really interesting chapter towards the end that follows the journey of this one woman in and out of the alt-right. There's some stuff about Reddit as well in the second half of the book, if I'm remembering correctly.

Oh yay I'm glad someone else read it here wow woo! I have once again forgotten to write my thoughts on what I've read so far, but I'll get to it eventually... :psycholaugh:
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Dec 23 2025, 4:07 PM #6

(Dec 23 2025, 3:53 PM)Magpie It does drag on at points but there's a really interesting chapter towards the end that follows the journey of this one woman in and out of the alt-right. There's some stuff about Reddit as well in the second half of the book, if I'm remembering correctly.

Oh yay I'm glad someone else read it here wow woo! I have once again forgotten to write my thoughts on what I've read so far, but I'll get to it eventually... :psycholaugh:

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Dec 26 2025, 2:45 PM
#7
(Dec 23 2025, 4:07 PM)Clover Oh yay I'm glad someone else read it here wow woo! I have once again forgotten to write my thoughts on what I've read so far, but I'll get to it eventually... :psycholaugh:

Aside from marking a few passages that I thought were interesting I didn't really make any notes either so don't get your hopes up too much 😅
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Magpie
Dec 26 2025, 2:45 PM #7

(Dec 23 2025, 4:07 PM)Clover Oh yay I'm glad someone else read it here wow woo! I have once again forgotten to write my thoughts on what I've read so far, but I'll get to it eventually... :psycholaugh:

Aside from marking a few passages that I thought were interesting I didn't really make any notes either so don't get your hopes up too much 😅

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Dec 30 2025, 11:15 PM
#8
I finally finished it! A few days ago, actually, I've just been busy so I didn't get a chance to say it! Thanks for encouraging me Magpie, I think I was stuck in one of those parts that dragged on earlier lol. Turns out my kindle was lying on how far I was, because it counted all the pages of "sources" and "definitions" at the end as more chapters lol.

Okay, in hindsight, when I picked up the book and was excited to read it, I didn't realize it was pretty heavily centered around Trumpers and the 2016 presidential election. But! Still, what the author wrote about online antisocial communities and stuff, especially in the beginning, and later towards the end too, was really useful.

I'm still planning on documenting what I found interesting/helpful in this book! What I wanted to highlight was a lot of what I see related to the alt-right online communities written in the book and what I've seen in online gender critical communities and how it's been a struggle for gender critical feminists/radical feminists. Just uh.... got busy.... ha. But soon I hope?! :harold:
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Dec 30 2025, 11:15 PM #8

I finally finished it! A few days ago, actually, I've just been busy so I didn't get a chance to say it! Thanks for encouraging me Magpie, I think I was stuck in one of those parts that dragged on earlier lol. Turns out my kindle was lying on how far I was, because it counted all the pages of "sources" and "definitions" at the end as more chapters lol.

Okay, in hindsight, when I picked up the book and was excited to read it, I didn't realize it was pretty heavily centered around Trumpers and the 2016 presidential election. But! Still, what the author wrote about online antisocial communities and stuff, especially in the beginning, and later towards the end too, was really useful.

I'm still planning on documenting what I found interesting/helpful in this book! What I wanted to highlight was a lot of what I see related to the alt-right online communities written in the book and what I've seen in online gender critical communities and how it's been a struggle for gender critical feminists/radical feminists. Just uh.... got busy.... ha. But soon I hope?! :harold:

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