Social media is supposed to bring us together - but it is tearing us apart.

'A blisteringly good, urgent, essential read' Zadie Smith

The evidence suggests that social media is making us sadder, angrier, less empathetic, more fearful, more isolated and more tribal.

Jaron Lanier is the world-famous Silicon Valley scientist-pioneer who first alerted us to the dangers of social media. In this witty and urgent manifesto he explains why its toxic effects are at the heart of its design, and, in ten simple arguments, why liberating yourself from its hold will transform your life and the world for the better.

WITH A NEW AFTERWORD BY THE AUTHOR

'Informed, heartfelt and often entertaining ... a timely reminder that even if we can't bring ourselves to leave social media altogether, we should always think critically about how it works' Sunday Times

'Indispensable. Everyone who wants to understand the digital world, its pitfalls and possibilities should read this book - now' Matthew d'Ancona, author of Post-Truth

Jaron Lanier is one of the most celebrated pioneers of digital innovation in the world, and also one of the earliest and most prescient critics of its current trajectory. His previous books include the international bestsellers Who Owns the Future? and You Are Not a Gadget, both chosen as best books of the year by the New York Times, and most recently Dawn of the New Everything: A Journey Through Virtual Reality, chosen as a best book of the year by the Wall Street Journal, The Economist and Vox. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time, one of the 100 top public intellectuals by Foreign Policy, and one of the top 50 World Thinkers by Prospect.