Ten Arguments to Delete Your Social Media Account Right Now Summary

Summary of Ten Arguments to Delete Your Social Media Account Right Now Book by Jaron Lanier

Name: Ten Arguments to Delete Your Social Media Account Right Now
Rating: 4.5 (3460 reviews)
Author: Jaron Lanier

4.5 . 3460 reviews

Short summary

Jaron Lanier, world-famous Silicon Valley scientist-pioneer, alerted everyone on the dangers of social media. He explains why its toxic effects are at the heart of its design, and teaches in 10 simple arguments that liberating yourself from its hold will transform your life and the world for the better. In “Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now,” Jaron Lanier, a computer scientist, draws on his insider’s expertise to explain precisely how social media works and why it’s dangerous effects are at the root of its current business model and design. He offers simple arguments for liberating yourself from its addictive hold; his witty and urgent manifesto outlines a vision for an alternative that provides all the benefits of social media without the harm. Jaron Lanier’s name is often associated with Virtual Reality research; he holds scientific interests that include biomimetic information architectures, user interfaces, heterogeneous scientific simulations, advanced information systems for medicine, and computational approaches to the fundamentals of physics.

17 min

12 key points

20 insights

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Table of content

Summary of Ten Arguments to Delete Your Social Media Account Right Now
About the author
What is Ten Arguments to Delete Your Social Media Account Right Now about?
Who should read Ten Arguments to Delete Your Social Media Account Right Now
Topics in Ten Arguments to Delete Your Social Media Account Right Now

first key point

This guide is about how to be a cat to avoid being manipulated

Listen the first key point

00:00

Cats are everywhere online. They make the memories memes and the cutest videos. Why are there more cats than dogs? Dogs didn’t come to ancient humans begging to live with us; humans domesticated them. They’ve been bred to be obedient. They take to training, and they are predictable. They work for us. Significantly, dogs are loyal and dependable. However, cats are different. They came along and partly domesticated themselves.

Cats are not predictable, and they can’t be easily manipulated.

Popular dog videos tend to show off training, while the most wildly popular cat videos are the ones that capture weird and surprising behaviors. Cats are smart, but not a great choice if you want an animal that reliably takes training. What’s so touching is that the cats are making their minds up about whether to do a trick they’ve learned, or to do nothing, or to wander into the audience. Cats have done the impossible: They’ve successfully integrated themselves into the modern high-tech world without giving themselves up. They are still in charge. No one has taken over your cat.

Cats on the Internet are our dreams and hopes for the future of people on the internet. Meanwhile, even though we love dogs, we don’t want to be dogs, at least in terms of power relationships with people, and we’re afraid Facebook and the like are turning us into dogs. When triggered to do something crappy online, we might call it a response to a “dog whistle.” We worry that we’re falling under stealthy control.

This guide is about how to be a cat. Being a cat means you remain autonomous in a world where you are under constant surveillance and are constantly prodded by algorithms run by some of the wealthiest corporations in history, which have no way of making money except by being paid to manipulate your behavior. How can you be a cat? The title doesn’t lie; this summary presents the arguments for deleting all your social media accounts.

Did you know? Only dogs hear dog whistles.

second key point

Quitting social media is the best way to resist the insanity of our times — the bummer machine

The second argument states that the best way to resist the insanity of this time is to quit social media. Despite the disadvantages pointed out concerning the digital world, Lanier believes we don’t have to throw the whole digital world away. The problem isn’t the smartphone, or the internet, which is also routinely accused of ruining the world.

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third key point

The BUMMER machine explains people’s behavior online and how it is changing

fourth key point

Social media is making you into an addict and an asshole

fifth key point

Social media is promoting the fake and undermining the truth

sixth key point

Social media is making what you say meaningless and without context

seventh key point

When you and others become meaningless, you understand less about what’s going on with them

eighth key point

Why do so many famous tweets end with the word “sad”?

ninth key point

Social media does not want you to have economic dignity

tenth key point

Social media is making politics impossible

eleventh key point

BUMMER creates a negative campaign on social media and hurts people with it

twelfth key point

Conclusion

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What is Ten Arguments to Delete Your Social Media Account Right Now about?

In this thought-provoking book, the author presents ten compelling arguments that challenge the pervasive influence of social media in our lives. Jaron Lanier explores the negative impact of these platforms on our mental health, democracy, and society as a whole. With a mix of personal anecdotes and expert analysis, he urges readers to reconsider their relationship with social media and offers a compelling case for deleting these accounts to regain control over our own lives.

Who should read Ten Arguments to Delete Your Social Media Account Right Now

Individuals concerned about the negative impact of social media on mental health.
Tech enthusiasts seeking a critical examination of social media platforms.
Parents looking to understand the potential dangers of social media for their children.

Topics in Ten Arguments to Delete Your Social Media Account Right Now

Social Media Marketing Technology Digital Transformation Digital Marketing Social Skills Addiction Mental Health Self-Help Psychology Self-Care Personal Development Ethics Society Communication Happiness Manipulation

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