PublishedJonathan Cape, July 2018 |
ISBN9781847925398 |
FormatHardcover, 160 pages |
Dimensions22.2cm × 14.4cm × 2cm |
'A blisteringly good, urgent, essential read' ZADIE SMITH
Jaron Lanier, the world-famous Silicon Valley scientist-pioneer and 'high-tech genius' (Sunday Times) who first alerted us to the dangers of social media, explains why its toxic effects are at the heart of its design, and explains in ten simple arguments why liberating yourself from its hold will transform your life and the world for the better.
Social media is making us sadder, angrier, less empathetic, more fearful, more isolated and more tribal. In recent months it has become horribly clear that social media is not bringing us together - it is tearing us apart. In Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now Jaron Lanier draws on his insider's expertise to explain precisely how social media works - by deploying constant surveillance and subconscious manipulation of its users - and why its cruel and dangerous effects are at the heart of its current business model and design. As well as offering ten 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.
So, if you want a happier life, a more just and peaceful world, or merely the chance to think for yourself without being monitored and influenced by the richest corporations in history, then the best thing you can do, for now, is delete your social media accounts - right now. You will almost certainly become a calmer and possibly a nicer person in the process.
Bill is one of the founders of Boffins and has been involved in selecting the books we stock since our beginning in 1989. His favourite reading is history, with psychology, current affairs, and business books coming close behind. His hobbies are reading, food, reading, drinking, reading, and sleeping.
John Lanier is one of the pioneers of digital innovation in the world – so when he warns us about an aspect of it, we should sit up and listen. He draws on his insider experience to explain how social media works – by deploying constant surveillance and subconscious manipulation of its users. The evidence suggests that social media makes us sadder, angrier, less empathetic, more fearful, more isolated and more tribal. He offers ten simple arguments for liberating yourself from its addictive hold and provides a vision for an alternative that provides all the benefits of social media without the harm.
