Essay Sample on Deleting Social Media

“Your character is like your health, more valuable than anything you can buy” (Lanier 45). In his book, Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now, author Jaron Lanier discusses the dangers of social media and why it is harmful to humans and our complex and educated society. He uses ten main different arguments to demonstrate why if you are an owner of a social media account, you should delete it right away after reading. By focusing on using the persuasive effects of Aristotelian appeals, Lanier argues for readers to go indistinguishable on the internet. Although I disagree with much that Lanier says, I fully agree with his third conclusion that “social media is making you into an asshole” (39). Between the loss of character, the ability of anonymity online, and the increasing amounts of cyberbullying, social media is making us forget our true selves and to have empathy for one another, and making us turn into rude and discourteous people.  

Creating social media accounts and becoming constant users are causing us, yes that means me and you, to lose our character. And not only lose our character but also become rude humans both online and face to face. Throughout the third paragraph Lanier describes emotional situations he and others have been in, as well as feelings they have felt, to support his claim of deleting social media. One of his best examples is a theory he created based on experiences he has witnessed, explaining how humans are like wolves in the sense that they have a pack mentality. By being in a pack, you are obligated to follow the leader of said pack and conform to their opinions and rules. In fact he directly states that “When we’re in a pack, interactions with others become the most important thing in the world” (Lanier 45). This is hurting individualism and our own character. When we are online, we are taking part in the pack mentality because many times people feel as if they cannot share their true selves or opinions on the internet in fear of being laughed at and shunned. Becoming one with a pack mentality and forgetting our true selves can also lead many people to make the decision to become anonymous online. While this sounds adequate and fine, anonymity can lead to more issues where someone is too afraid to show their true selves, hiding their character and personality from real life. 

Being able to remain anonymous online leads to worse than better, especially with the creation of artificial intelligence. Lanier displays his credibility discussing the topic of AI by showcasing his years of working in technology departments in Silicon Valley. Through many different jobs and research opportunities Lanier was able to gain experience in how artificial intelligence and anonymity online can affect people especially when it comes to making comments about others. Trolling also has become a greater deal online because of the availability of staying anonymous while posting. One of the best examples that Lanier uses is the example about “climate change and why people still think it doesn’t exist” (45). I think this is important to talk about because so much of this has to do with misinformation on the internet which is also a huge problem next to trolling people and being mean online.  As Lanier quotes “the truth always comes back to science” (46). This can even be applied to the use of anonymous accounts as well as hackers. Although it may seem like no one could ever find out who is doing such cruel things online, with science and AI there are now numerous ways to determine who the culprit is behind the screen. In the end, anonymity usually leads to the sharing of any ideas on the internet without any worry of who may see. But doing this can lead to the sharing of false facts, rude comments, and even bullying others online without revealing who you are. 

Social media also contributes heavily to the amount of cyberbullying and the sharing of cruel words and ideas online. With the increasing number of social media users and the normalcy of sharing everything on social media, making fun of others and yourself online has increased greatly. Even if you haven't been directly bullied online, the derogatory effects of social media can still affect you. Take, for example, my own experience. Natural blond hair. Blue eyes. Tall figure. Athletic Muscles. Small button nose. This is just a list of some of my favorite things about myself that give me a confidence boost. But then I open my laptop and search through numerous websites trying to find the perfect new outfit. Super skinny. Flawless tan skin. A perfectly white smile. Perfect physique. These are just a few of the things I see the models on these websites have. And of course, as any other teenage girl would, I immediately compare myself to these “perfect” girls. Little do I know though how photoshopped these models are. The constant comparison of these fake girls to my natural self has had a huge negative impact on my body image and mental health. Lanier also discusses the hurtful effects of the internet as such in chapter three of his book. He describes how online platforms are setting people up to compete with one another as well as being able to say rude and provocative comments with no real repercussions. Lanier would specifically know how these apps are set up to compare one another to each other because he spent years working in Silicon Valley for tech companies who developed such apps. He also describes the transition of social media and how it has changed as time goes on. Specifically referencing the difference of social media in the late 1970s and today. Although he still expresses how even all those years ago “Sometimes out of nowhere, I would get into a fight with someone, or a group of people. It was so weird. We’d start insulting each other, typing to score points, getting under each other's skin” (Lanier 41). So even with minimal technology, nothing like the abilities we have today such as photoshop, people still found a way to be disrespectful to one another online. Having a platform to compare can be an incredibly useful thing but when it comes to comparing people to people is when the dismissive and obstructive comments and thoughts start. Cyberbullying is a huge issue today, especially among the younger generations. Much of cyber bullying occurs on social media apps and websites where you can join groups and sometimes even remain anonymous. With all this new technology, it is even easier to start sharing your feelings and opinions no matter how cruel they may be, turning people into jerks just like Lanier described. 

Technology and specifically social media will always be changing and updating, whether that be for good or bad. If there is one thing that is for certain though, it is that humans will continue to use social media until it is deleted from existence all together. While we may see some of the positive sides of having apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter downloaded on our phones, Lanier lays out ten extremely noteworthy and thought provoking arguments as to why we should delete them right now. WIth his tech expertise, intriguing data points, and personal experiences he explains that social media is not worth all the hype it gets. After reading, his reasons for deleting social media and ones to think about and will for sure make me wonder the real point of putting so much time and effort into my accounts. 

Works Cited

Lanier, Jaron. Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now. Henry Holt and Company, 2018.