FCOS Book Review: Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now
In the new book by Jaron Lanier "Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now", there is a profound discussion about the positive and negative aspects of the general development of the Social Media-Technologies of the Silicon-Valley-Developers. Lanier was working there as a pioneer and head-developer programming and making concepts for this industry and the virtual reality. Then he quit his job, because he could not any longer stand the manipulation of all the users, contributing to the wrong politics and enlargement of profits of the social media technology industry and its development in the wrong direction for our society. He thinks our society will be destroyed if we don’t take action now and make the right decisions how to use these tools.
Ironically, his own kids are not allowed to use social media (as are many of the kids of his colleagues) - so they do not get addicted and influenced in their development so strongly. Lanier thinks it is very dangerous for kids and also adults because the developers aim to manipulate the human psyche to serve their customers, who want get more profit generated by these technical tools. Essentially, the SMA users are already the ware themselves.
For example: the human archaic needs and wishes like being accepted in their tribe (group of people), or getting rewards (chemical drugs like dopamine), getting seen (belief of an artificial false identity), being in communication (always stressed of being online and responding), etc. are fed. He describes the artificial intelligence of these technologies that are getting more and more complex. And negative news/impacts are much more successful than positive news/impacts,...
In his introduction of the book he asked the kids and adults to be like a cat, who feels and does, what she really wants. Lanier tells us to be very alert in using the new Technology-tools, and how to stay yourself!
I would highly recommend this book to all!
-Doris Dockner
