I agree with Anna, and found I had many similar reactions. The way in which the societal norms are constructed in SSTLS is so absurd that it's comical. The cool, hip thing to do is to actually converse using instant messaging abbreviations, as Eunice does with Lenny. I found myself constantly frightened at how many similarities I recognized between the novel's absurdities and real life situations. It is not too infrequent that people will use social media or texting abbreviations when speaking to one another face to face. The whole concept of diluting and diminishing face to face interactions through the takeover of technology was well illustrated thus far in the novel, and is a common topic of discussion in today's world. The fact that an animated otter now takes the place of what should be a real human interaction at a foreign Embassy comments on the world's, but especially our nation's, overemphasis on the race to better and more efficient technology. The otter, despite its extremely personal questions, cannot accurately evaluate the character and quality of Lenny - and so we are lead to believe flags him on little basis. Furthermore, the use of credit history to determine the fate of people's lives is clearly extremely irresponsible and altogether ridiculous, but with our country heading toward a completely computerized, technological economy, is not all too unimaginable.
I also was reminded of Feed especially with the importance of the apparats. It seems that everyone is consumed with technology, and as Wesley pointed out, an all-encompassing desire to be youthful. This novel seems to be one step behind the society in Feed, where the computer chips are actually a physical part of the human body, and serve biological functions, and as a forum for people to communicate brain to brain on a constant instant messaging system. I sometimes joke about the implications of our rapid technological progress, and my hatred of the kindle as it paves the way on the slippery slope to our future dystopian society. The society portrayed in SSTLS is the first I have found to hold some fathomable merit. By no stretch of the imagination is the society portrayed, or at least parts of it, obtainable. I found the beginning of this novel to be extremely disconcerting in the way that it's realistic, perhaps because it was written so recently. So far, it serves a great warning to us all.