“What did it mean that she was allowed to see this?” (8). At one time, she ponders about the hate as well as the grotesque pictures in the portal. Social media appeals to hoards of idle youth, who spend countless hours immersed in its dynamic without realizing how destructive it is to their identity and creativity. There is no logic to the point why someone would become famous overnight for posting a senseless post. The author vividly demonstrates the pettiness of the platforms. She presents these mediums in a naturalistic light, seeking to unravel their destructive capacities. Essentially, Lockwood uses the protagonist’s life to mock the utility and detrimental effects of social media platforms. Yet, she is unable to divorce from the addiction that rocks her life. After she seriously ponders about her contribution to the internet, she is deeply disturbed by the realization that she is part of the problem. She resigns from thinking that she is a hero in the internet age and realizes eventually that the portal represents a destructive force to her freedoms, identity, and even the masses. The author poses a question about the utility of the portal when it is clear that they are antithetical to the stability of the country. Critical among the concerns are the distrustful and immersive nature of social media platforms. The novel strongly revolves around several social problems. The protagonist spends the last days in the book thinking about her niece, suffering from a deadly ailment, and wondering about the noxious effects of the portal.
In the Jamaican tour, she encounters other portal users who remember her, and she is astonished at the eccentric damage occasioned by the portal.
She realizes how deep the portal had drawn her and isolated her from the self. As a result, she considers taking the time of the portal but finds it difficult even after hiding her phone away and giving her husband the codes. She also questions her father’s perspectives about dictatorship and worries inflexibly about the problem facing the USA. She later watches a video that makes her question her comments and activity in the portal. She also wonders why there are countless mass shooting incidents in the USA compared to Europe.
She is also provoked to hate the police like anyone in the portal after a series of racially motivated attacks and feels there is a connection between fascism and American dictatorship. Her tour across the globe leads her to appreciate how different countries viewed the USA. Her post results in several invites across the globe, where she is tasked to discuss the Internet aka “The Portal”. She posts the viral video as she concerns herself with political thoughts about the USA. During this time, the protagonist still exhibits her concerns about stability in America, mainly because of increased autocracy. The novel follows the story of a female social media idol, who rises to fame for posting a viral post in the portal.
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