Technology, Social Media, And Changes In Communication In NW And Swing Time

Abstract

Technology gradually inceasing day by day. We are in a age we cannot survive  a single minute without technology and social media. The world is so fast changing with technology and social media. Zadie smith’s famous novels NW (2012) and Swing Time (2016) depicts how social media and technology changing connections and relations. This article focuses how Zadie smith potrays digital communication plays a crucial role in shaping the identity and culture. It also studies how Zadie smith characters negotiate in a world where everything happens instantly.privacy is precarious, and every online action feels like a performance using ideas like Marshall McLuhan's famous line, "the medium is the message," and Manuel Castells's view of how networks dominate modern life.

Social media reflects the anarchy of city life in NW; characters use it to climb socially, locate their people, or simply survive in a world when money is limited. But it's a two-edged sword; while it provides connection, it also makes people feel alone, particularly in light of race and class. Conversely, Swing Time asks how digital life alters our perception of race, culture, and even do-gooder projects in locations like Africa, zooming out globally. Who is going to share whose story? Really who is in charge? Though the two books approach technology differently, they both address the same unsettling reality: social media lets people redefine themselves, but it also turns life into a stage everyone is watching. Smith does not offer simple responses. Rather, she challenges us to consider what digital connection actually means—especially in light of race, culture, and inequality influencing every click and scroll.