What do you think?
Rate this book
Summary of Jaron Lanier’s Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 30, 2023
After watching, The Social Dilemma, I was shook. Look, I've been highly critical of social media for a long time. I've left most (aside from IG, currently, and, well, this platform...though I don't feel it much fits the 'social' aspect and definitely doesn't fall into the BUMMER criteria Lanier discusses or the film points out). I've taken breaks. I've quit. And I find myself questioning more. The film highlighted some of my concerns.
Hell, I got completely off IG these past 3 days and fuck, I've gained so much insight.
Since then I read two books, this being one, that helped me to evaluate further. As I often discuss, on the only social media platform I'm on, the importance of prioritizing what's important to you, mental health and trusting your intuition. I still often find myself, and others, who praise these notions...not prioritizing what's important to them (but allowing in distractions), having some mental health struggles (even if salvaging others, with regard to social media) and not trusting their gut when it says 'is this really serving you and your dreams.'
What I got from this book was not what I expected. I have one small qualm with it, which lands in the chapter where politics is discussed and I feel is a example of where the author succombed to the very thing he was talking about. Seeing as it didn't take away from what I got, I feel this book (like that film) is a must read for anyone with a social media account.
Lanier didn't say what I thought he would (as he himself pointed out), not getting into things like mental health, comparison, the time spent and thus not spent on what's important, etc. He focused on the more grandiose areas and the areas he knows best: like the human manipulation aspect of social media.
I had many discussions with my husband about, if social media can be created in a way to avoid these things. My husband had one thought and Lanier confirmed it, make the service payable. Make it so you have to pay into it, thus making those servicing the platform, creating the algorithms serve you not the marketers (their current customers). Lanier points out the need to make it open to those who can't afford it. But this idea alone cuts so much out. And hey, if it were made to be something you'd pay for, wouldn't we also (more often than not) ask ourselves if this is worth our investment, just as we do other things we pay for.
I just cannot recommend this book enough and will likely go through it again. I hope Lanier goes into all the other aspects he didn't though, honestly, I know enough about those to know what he might say. Seriously, if you use social media to any degree, do your research. Know what you are using. Just as you'd test drive a car and research the brand, know what you are using so it doesn't use you. Or get off. Or both.
After this, I'll recommend a book that tells you when to quit.
Hell, I got completely off IG these past 3 days and fuck, I've gained so much insight.
Since then I read two books, this being one, that helped me to evaluate further. As I often discuss, on the only social media platform I'm on, the importance of prioritizing what's important to you, mental health and trusting your intuition. I still often find myself, and others, who praise these notions...not prioritizing what's important to them (but allowing in distractions), having some mental health struggles (even if salvaging others, with regard to social media) and not trusting their gut when it says 'is this really serving you and your dreams.'
What I got from this book was not what I expected. I have one small qualm with it, which lands in the chapter where politics is discussed and I feel is a example of where the author succombed to the very thing he was talking about. Seeing as it didn't take away from what I got, I feel this book (like that film) is a must read for anyone with a social media account.
Lanier didn't say what I thought he would (as he himself pointed out), not getting into things like mental health, comparison, the time spent and thus not spent on what's important, etc. He focused on the more grandiose areas and the areas he knows best: like the human manipulation aspect of social media.
I had many discussions with my husband about, if social media can be created in a way to avoid these things. My husband had one thought and Lanier confirmed it, make the service payable. Make it so you have to pay into it, thus making those servicing the platform, creating the algorithms serve you not the marketers (their current customers). Lanier points out the need to make it open to those who can't afford it. But this idea alone cuts so much out. And hey, if it were made to be something you'd pay for, wouldn't we also (more often than not) ask ourselves if this is worth our investment, just as we do other things we pay for.
I just cannot recommend this book enough and will likely go through it again. I hope Lanier goes into all the other aspects he didn't though, honestly, I know enough about those to know what he might say. Seriously, if you use social media to any degree, do your research. Know what you are using. Just as you'd test drive a car and research the brand, know what you are using so it doesn't use you. Or get off. Or both.
After this, I'll recommend a book that tells you when to quit.
Displaying 1 of 1 review