Culture | The bloom is off the rose

Are internet firms the problem, or are you the problem?

A veteran critic of technology offers his take on a familiar target

A model poses for photographers amongst wildflowers in bloom at Lake Elsinore, California, United States, March 18th 2019
Picture perfect?Photograph: AP

IN EARLY 2019 an unusual abundance of orange poppies appeared on the slopes of Walker Canyon, in the Temescal Mountains south-east of Los Angeles. Social-media influencers flocked to the scene to take pictures of themselves among the blossoms, prompting their followers to do the same. The “superbloom” of flowers produced a superbloom of people, trampling the poppies, causing gridlock and creating a public-safety hazard.

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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “The bloom is off the rose”

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