A 2024 report estimated that an average internet user spends six hours online per day. That’s a quarter of our lives being spent attached to a device. Even now, you’re staring at one as you read this article.

With so much of our time spent online, it makes sense why many of us fail to escape the addictive trap of social media. Despite the constant flood of news reports on how social platforms are stealing our data, spreading misinformation, and leading to increased mental health issues, most of us continue to be drawn into the pleasurable dopamine hit of scrolling down our feeds. Some of us use these platforms as a distraction from the seemingly insurmountable woes of IRL, others find a sense of community that isn’t available outside the 2×5 inch boundaries of our smartphones, and a few luckier people even make a career out of being online.

Of course, I am no exception to this digital phenomenon. By ten years old, social media and YouTube had largely monopolized my consciousness. I remember running home after school, only to watch hours of my favourite influencer’s vlogs until dark. Even now, when I’m old enough to recognize that online personalities are often manufactured, I still find myself gravitating toward these platforms. When I’m not engaging with a content creator, I’m messaging with my friends on Discord, looking back on memories via Facebook, or getting a laugh from Tik Tok. During highschool, I even had a brief influencer stint, which largely inspired my debut novel, Julie Chan is Dead. 

As being online becomes increasingly vital to our modern culture, more and more stories that use social media as a plot device are being written. Like my debut novel, the books I compiled below discuss the realities of being online, and how social media impacts our lives. Because what’s better than exploring our inescapable realities in the form of twisty, thought-provoking fiction?

The Influencers by Anna-Marie McLemore

May Iverson has built an empire by being a “mommy influencer” to her five mixed-race daughters. But then her new husband is killed, and her mansion is burned to ashes. The suspects? Her five now-adult daughters, each of whom seems to hold a grudge against their dear mommy who pushed them into social media fame and commodified their lives since childhood. 

If you’ve been online, you’ve likely encountered these seemingly “perfect” family units. But as with anything online, nothing is as pictured. Family vlogging has a record of childhood exploitation. Recently, California has passed a new law that forces influencer parents to set aside a percent of earnings for their child in light of the continued exploitation of children. McLemore propels these issues to the forefront of her book through a campy and escapist thriller.

The Goldens by Lauren Wilson

Chloe is a young woman who is swept into the glamorous life of a prominent influencer, Clara. The pair bond quickly after they meet, but as Clara becomes more famous, she begins to behave more wildly, throwing parties that the media call cultish. Soon, a girl disappears at one of these parties, and Chloe realizes she may be in danger if she isn’t able to escape Clara’s intoxicating influence. 

Few of us will have the opportunity to meet the likes of Clara in real life, but I don’t doubt that we’ve all had moments where we grew overly attached to an influencer or two. Wilson takes this concept to the next level through a thriller that you’re sure to be obsessed with.

The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya

The Subtweet follows the relationship of two internet-famous artists, Rukmini and Neela, whose friendship is fractured by one single tweet. The internet storm that follows results in one of their careers being destroyed.

Though the namesake of this book is of a bygone era, it still upholds all the quintessential online culture points, like passive aggressive communication and catty online gossip. This novel investigates career jealousy, friendship, and making art in an era where social justice is at the forefront of social media. It dissects the online racial power dynamic by asking what it takes for artists of colour to be successful in an online world that panders to white people. 

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Meredith is a rising mommy influencer who teaches her other mommy friend, Aspen, the way of the online world. Soon, Aspen’s career begins to overtake Meredith’s, much to Meredith’s chagrin. After the two of them have a falling out, Meredith goes through crazy lengths for online popularity, including stalking Aspen. But one day, Meredith suddenly goes missing, and Aspen’s world may just be upended.

This is a thrilling and twisty novel all about obsessive female friendships told from dual POVs. Perfect for readers who want to see the dirty realities of mommy influencers be ripped apart page by page, until the carefully curated lives of these digital creators are exposed for all to see.

Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter

Evie is a lifestyle influencer who came into the spotlight at five years old with a viral video, and has since started a social media empire with her family. Her older sister, Hazel, avoids the family business and is skeptical of how everyone seems to want to exploit her little sister. Then one day, Evie disappears mid-live-stream, and Hazel must confront the darkest parts of her sister’s online world to find the truth of what happened. 

Written from the POV of a social media skeptic, it explores all the ways a girl can be exploited if they are famous from a young age with the help of a fun multimedia format including social posts and transcripts. Sure to be a great read if you want to side eye and question the ethics of family vlogging.

Siri, Who Am I? by Sam Tschida

Mia has short term amnesia after an accident, and she can’t remember anything about herself–even her own name. Thank goodness her phone is on her. With one question to Siri, her phone provides her basic information, and also spills that many people seem to have a vengeance against her. Enough for Mia to question if her accident was really an accident at all. With the help of her Instagram posts, Mia starts to piece her life together, one photo of a time, in order to find the truth of what happened.

Most people have likely gone onto another person’s social feeds and tried to diagnose who they were from a few pictures and posts. This book poses an interesting question of how much of ourselves we can really learn from what we present online through a fluffy escapist novel.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Emira Tucker is a young black babysitter who is accosted by a security guard while watching over a white toddler named Briar. A video of the interaction leaks online and Emilia is humiliated. Alix Chamberlain, Briar’s mother and wealthy white influencer, is determined to make things right. What follows is an eviscerating story of white saviorism and performative allyship that can occur online and in real life. 

There’s a reason that this novel is a bestseller, written in engaging and highly readable prose, Reid is able to dissect our woke culture in such a digestible manner with clever revelations that’ll keep you gripped along the way.