A review by tesslw
We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets

  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.25

Meet Kayleigh; a (now ex) employee of the company Hexa - a third party to a social media platform, unnamed due to legal reasons. Kayleigh was employed to view hundreds of disturbing videos and photos on a daily basis and determine whether they meet standards to remain up or if they are offensive or disturbing enough to violate guidelines and be flagged for removal - it turns out, the line is thinner than you might imagine. But Kayleigh has good people around her - some solid friends and a girlfriend that help her to manage this unpleasant day job. She’s doing fine! For now… However, as time goes on the result of this constant bombardment is, unsurprisingly, vicarious trauma and internalisation of horrific and harmful events after long term exposure. 

I thought the tension and eventual rifts that emerge between the characters, likely as a result of their emotional moderation being totally shot to pieces was very well framed - this does workplace drama with just the right amount of unexpected twist. We all know I also love an expose of current affairs and this really highlighted the degree of toxicity that we all probably know lurks just below the surface of the social media we all interact with on a daily basis. 

This is definitely jarring and thought provoking - and whilst I wouldn’t say it totally blew my mind, it’s definitely one to mull over after you’ve put it down. And it’s so short, it’s a definitely worth diving in to if it’s on your radar. 

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