The New War Photographer

Written by Coco Song from Maryland, USA

Twenty-second videos you watch for ten, 

ten-page stories you swipe at five. 

Nibble-size content you chew up and spit out; the left-over sugar corrodes your teeth, leaving worms to squirm in the roots. 

With rotten teeth you feast on 

war, the one social media feeds you. 

“Oh, but don’t you worry, 

it has been twice processed and thrice filtered.

You’ll taste what we want you to taste.” 

Teeth eater and brain rotter, a parasite 

in a pretty, infinity wrapper. 

“Here are the victims, and here are the perpetrators.

Pay no mind to what we don't show you. 

The algorithm –– the algorithm knows best.” 

“Toss a few seconds to the living machine–

you can afford that, right? 

It’s a fair deal for their pain.” 

So you stay, and devour the sweetened war,

then swipe past it and laugh at funny cat videos. 

Footage of a Palestinian boy bein... 

This content has been removed 

due to violations of our policy. 

“...You shouldn’t be seeing this, it’s unfiltered,

unsafe. But don’t worry, this foul thing won’t slip in

again. Eat what we’re giving you.” 

Indigestion churns butter into your brain ––

cats - food - Ukraine - memes - Aaron Bushnell - 

You cringe while the acid crawls up your throat,

waking you from your consumption coma. “Oh

dear, was today’s content unsatisfactory? We’ll

do better. We won’t wake you next time. And

honey, avoid smiling in mirrors from now on.” 

The sliced and diced news and images of war, optional

condiments in your all-American burger. 

Your hunger will remain insatiable. 

We’re in America, the United States of Apathy.

A war seasoned for an audience is nothing new.

Skewed and skewered, just how they want it.

Who are they, you may ask, well, 

it doesn’t matter; they are the new war photographers.

You’re happy here, with us, the algorithm.

What is their suffering to your funny feline videos, anyway?

You’re happy here, so just keep 

eating and eating and eating and eating and…

Rot.