Two Modern Day Stories

Two things have caught my interest over the past week.

The first was a book by Harlan Coben, “Hold Tight”. Though I don’t usually read a lot of fiction (mostly non-fiction business books are on my nightstand), I read a review recently that made me want to give this book a try. I’m doing a lot of research/writing on social media and Internet security, which are two of the main topics in this book. The story is about a teenager who commits suicide, and it all leads to different clues using today’s social media tools and email. It also asks the question that many parents today are facing: is spying on your kids’ online habits a good thing?

I enjoyed reading about a family’s challenges when facing their teenager’s choices, and the author’s take on keeping your kids safe. Because many parents today simply don’t understand things like Facebook and MySpace, keeping their kids safe is a difficult task. With a book like this, it’s opening up topics that before were simply unknown. If it can get parents to start thinking and to start learning a bit more about today’s tools, it’s a definite step in the right direction.

The second was a movie, Untraceable. This action thriller is about an FBI agent who tracks people online, and traces them to different crimes. The storyline revolves around how you catch a killer who broadcasts online, but programs his site in such a way that he is untraceable.

There are lots of turns and twists that keep you on the edge of your seat. Once again I enjoyed having today’s technology featured in such a dramatic way. Is all of it believable and plausible? Probably not. But it’s a great two hour look at what today’s technology can do.

In both cases the author/director shares a modern look at technology, and the impact it can have on our lives. In both cases it’s not based on common every day occurrences, but it still is enough to share possibilities with readers/viewers. Things have definitely made mainstream when best selling novels and action movies are centered around it.

If you’ve read the book or watched the movie, I’d be interested in hearing your comments.