Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now

Don't Be Exploited

Social media channels are a time sink. The urge to check and recheck your feeds can become compulsive to the point of addiction. Virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier argues convincingly that social media’s toxicity arises from its business model, which encourages advertisers to exploit user data in targeted, manipulative messages.

If, when you participate in online platforms, you notice a nasty thing inside yourself, an insecurity, a sense of low self-esteem, a yearning to lash out, to swat someone down, then leave that platform.Jaron Lanier

The longer you stay on Facebook or Twitter and their ilk, the more data such firms can harvest and sell to advertisers. And the longer you stay on, the more addictive these channels become; that’s the foundation of their design. Lanier argues that to spur change – and save your soul – you must delete your accounts.