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Sillers 1
Latoya Sillers
Professor Bryant
ENGL-1301 2C01
6/12/2022
ENGL 1301, Essay 1: Delete Your Social Media Accounts by Jaron Lanier
The article, “Delete Your Social Media Accounts” by Jaron Lanier, goes into ideals about
the author’s perspective of the negative impacts social media can have on one’s psyche, behaviors and dependency on technology. Lanier begins by describing how the everyday behaviors of cats and dogs, can be similarly linked to the behaviors of people that use social media. In the article, Lanier gives such correlations with the lines, “Cats have done the seemingly impossible: They’ve integrated themselves into the modern high-tech world without giving themselves up” (173)—and “Yes, I am suggesting that you might be turning, just a little, into a well-trained dog,” (174). While cats march to the beats of their own drums, those not on social media, dogs follow the pack and do as they are told, those on social media.
Lanier suggests that society is being trained, or groomed, without their knowledge. He explains how algorithms affect the flow of what we see. According to the article, “algorithms don’t really understand you, but there is power in numbers,” (174). The article implies that advertisers sneak up on people, while they are using their devices. Our writer directly points the finger at the powers that be for spying on people who constantly use social media, hence why advertisements can be tailored the individual who is viewing them.
“Yes, being able to quit [social media] is a privilege; many genuinely can’t,” (176), Lanier goes on to speculate. He more or less explains his distaste with how social media is a trap,
essentially. Only the strong survive, the weak get lost in social media hell.
Sillers 2
The overall article is a “love letter” to giving social media the finger. It can be understood, from Lanier’s perspective, that our society can be compared to cats and dogs, in the way people act regarding social media. The link between our behaviors, how we feel and how obedient we are, while we are using social media, is an argument that should be had. We’ve all those “why did that article pop up on my timeline,” or “I was just talking to my friend about this the other day, and look, now it’s showing up in my newsfeed,” moments, but after reading the article, the why is even more concerning. To round out his argument, Lanier writes, “Quitting is the only way, for now, to learn to replace our grand mistake,” (176). While internet, smart devices and social media do very much exist in our very real world, so does free will and the beauty of deciding what works for you and what does not. After reading this article, I find myself agreeing with Lanier’s reasoning against social media. The after affects may not have been something the creators of such things could have predicted, but now that they’ve seen it, can anything be done to reverse it?
Sillers 3
Works Cited
Lanier, Jaron. “Delete Your Social Media Accounts Right Now.” Everyone's an Author with Readings, Third Edition,
edited by (?), W.W. Norton & Company, 2021, pgs. 172-176
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