In examining " Karppi " (2018), it is essential to distinguish between two distinct but equally significant works released that year: the Finnish crime drama series Karppi (internationally known as Deadwind ) and Tero Karppi’s influential media studies book, Disconnect: Facebook's Affective Bonds . Both explore themes of isolation and the "cold" modern world, albeit through different lenses.
Set against a bleak, wind-battered Finnish landscape, the show uses its environment as a psychological mirror for its characters. The cold, grey aesthetic emphasizes the emotional distance between Karppi and her family.
Karppi examines how platforms use "affective bonds"—like buttons and notification metrics—to stimulate positive emotional reactions. These "emotional flows" make it difficult for users to disengage, creating a state of "banal deception" where users feel socially connected but are actually isolated.
In the same year, Tero Karppi published Disconnect: Facebook's Affective Bonds , a critical look at how social media platforms maintain user engagement.