Jaron Lanier, inventor of Virtual Reality, philosophy writer, computer scientist, visual artist, and composer of classical music explains the toxic effects of social media that are at the heart of its design in his new book, Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now. He illustrates in ten simple arguments why liberating yourself from the hold of social media will transform your life and the world for the better, and, to quote argument no. 3, why social media is turning you into an asshole.

How could the benefits of social media possibly outweigh the catastrophic losses to our personal dignity, happiness, and freedom? Lanier remains a tech optimist, so while demonstrating the evil that rules social media business models today, he also envisions a humanistic setting for social networking that can direct us toward a richer and fuller way of living and connecting with our world.

Join us after the conversation for a book signing of Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now (available for purchase) and a bonfire in the garden.

This project is supported by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science.