Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Accounts by Jaron Lanier
Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now is a non-fiction book by Jaron Lanier that argues against the negative effects of social media on our individuality and society. Lanier believes that social media’s business model, which relies on advertising and data collection, is unethical and harmful. He refers to this model as BUMMER, which stands for Behaviors of Users Modified, and Made into an Empire for Rent.
The book is divided into ten chapters, each focusing on one reason why we should delete our social media accounts. These reasons include wasting time, creating unrealistic expectations, damaging our reputation, promoting superficial relationships, spreading negativity, being addictive and unhealthy, distorting reality, harming our self-esteem, blocking economic dignity, and contributing to political chaos.
Lanier argues that deleting our social media accounts is not a solution in itself, but rather a way to push for change in the industry. He suggests that we need to demand a new business model that respects our privacy and autonomy.
Useful takeaways from the book include understanding the negative effects of social media on our lives and society, recognizing the importance of protecting our privacy and autonomy, and advocating for a new business model that prioritizes ethical practices. The book also emphasizes the need for critical thinking and self-reflection when it comes to our online behavior.
What I Liked
This is the book that I wish I had written back in 2015. And I wish I had listened to the ideas years before. The entire experiment in social media has had lots of benefits, but I think the harms outweigh the benefits. There is a path that we (as a civilization) could have gone down (I say that as someone with a blog in 2023 rather than 2003. There’s so much else to talk about, but that’s what this book is for :)
What I Did Not Like
Nothing – though the author is a bit of a pie in the sky idealist. I would like to truly know how to get the same seamless user experience of Instagram in the open source world.
