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sbotelho 's review for:
Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now
by Jaron Lanier
This is a very interesting book. It is not particularly well written, because it seems more like he was talking to himself or a therapist, recorded and put it all in a book.
With that said, there is a little structure in the book. He explains that the problem is not internet, but what he calls "BUMMER - Behaviors of Users Modified, and Made into an Empire for Rent”. This is how 2 (Facebook and Google) out of the top big 5 internet companies (others being Apple, Microsoft and Amazon) are making money. You are the product, and the paying advertisers are the client/customer.
He sets up the chapters with the issues with BUMMER being the following:
1. You are losing your free will.
2. Quitting social media is the most finely targeted way to resist the insanity of our times.
3. Social media is making you into an asshole.
4. Social media is undermining truth.
5. Social media is making what you say meaningless.
6. Social media is destroying your capacity for empathy.
7. Social media is making you unhappy.
8. Social media doesn't want you to have economic dignity.
9. Social media is making politics impossible.
10. Social media hates your soul.
After reading this book, I started to pay more attention how even if I go to Facebook with the intention of staying just some seconds - enough to write a happy birthday note to a friend - I end up getting my time sucked because of something that they use to call my attention. I am being more purposeful in getting in and out. I don't intent to erase my social media: I have family abroad and friends all over the world, and social media is how we communicate. But like I said, being more aware and purposeful in how I use social media always helps. We are being manipulated and I don't see an answer to solve this issue, but the book gives us a pause.
With that said, there is a little structure in the book. He explains that the problem is not internet, but what he calls "BUMMER - Behaviors of Users Modified, and Made into an Empire for Rent”. This is how 2 (Facebook and Google) out of the top big 5 internet companies (others being Apple, Microsoft and Amazon) are making money. You are the product, and the paying advertisers are the client/customer.
He sets up the chapters with the issues with BUMMER being the following:
1. You are losing your free will.
2. Quitting social media is the most finely targeted way to resist the insanity of our times.
3. Social media is making you into an asshole.
4. Social media is undermining truth.
5. Social media is making what you say meaningless.
6. Social media is destroying your capacity for empathy.
7. Social media is making you unhappy.
8. Social media doesn't want you to have economic dignity.
9. Social media is making politics impossible.
10. Social media hates your soul.
After reading this book, I started to pay more attention how even if I go to Facebook with the intention of staying just some seconds - enough to write a happy birthday note to a friend - I end up getting my time sucked because of something that they use to call my attention. I am being more purposeful in getting in and out. I don't intent to erase my social media: I have family abroad and friends all over the world, and social media is how we communicate. But like I said, being more aware and purposeful in how I use social media always helps. We are being manipulated and I don't see an answer to solve this issue, but the book gives us a pause.