Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now

by Jaron Lanier

Trump supporters seem nuts to me, and they say liberals seem nuts to them. But it’s wrong to say we’ve grown apart and can’t understand each other. What’s really going on is that we see less than ever before of what others are seeing, so we have less opportunity to understand each other.

Addiction is associated with anhedonia, the lessened ability to take pleasure from life apart from whatever one is addicted to, and social media addicts appear to be prone to long-term anhedonia.

The inability to carve out a space in which to invent oneself without constant judgment; that is what makes me unhappy.

Deep mechanisms in the social parts of our brains monitor our social standing, making us terrified to be left behind, like a runt sacrificed to predators on the savannah.

Uber, which is pseudo-BUMMER, called the ability to spy on people the “God View.”31

Being free is what propelled these services to become so big so fast. It is also the foundation of the BUMMER business plan that has been so destructive, that has turned most of the human race into part-time lab rats.

So, two passions collided. Everything must be free, but we love mega tech founder heroes.

BUMMER was originally sold as a barter deal. “Let us spy on you and in return you’ll get free services.” This might seem like a reasonable deal in the short term, but in the long term it’s terrible.

The free services that you get are disguised versions of services someone like you would otherwise be paid to provide.