Jaron Lanier wrote a book giving ten reasons to quit social media! For the most part I agree with him, but I suggest Nostr gives an appropriate response to his ten arguments.  Let's take a closer look and see if these same arguments hold true for Nostr. There's a lot of buzz around Nostr lately, so it's only fair to give it a fair shake. Lanier introduces us to BUMMER, an acronym that reveals how social media companies modify user behaviour and rent it out like an empire on the market. Think of it as a fancy rental property for your online persona, complete with bidding wars. (Cambridge Analytica, anyone?) Now, here's where Nostr flips the script. This protocol doesn't rely on sneaky algorithms to meddle with your online mojo. Nope! Nostr respects your autonomy by letting you create your identity using a seed phrase. It's like having a secret passphrase that only you own. Sure, you can attempt to sway user behaviour through other pricey manipulation techniques and scams. Nostr isn't in the business of selling you a pre-packaged, mind-altered experience, that is because Nostr is not a business it is not owned by anyone. Here are Lanier's ten arguments to quit social media and some thoughts about if they apply to Nostr or not.

1 Social media is making you into an asshole: Well, guess what? With our fancy decentralized internet relay service, you can leave your asshole hat at the virtual door. No more algorithmic nudges to bring out the worst in you. It's all about direct, civil, and genuine interactions between users. Say goodbye to unnecessary drama! 2 Social media is undermining truth: We've got your back, truth-seeker! Nostr puts the power in your hands to verify information. You can rely on trusted sources and engage in good old peer review to separate the facts from the fiction. No more falling down the rabbit hole of clickbait and misinformation! 3 Social media is making it harder to talk to each other: Break free from those filter bubbles and echo chambers! Nostr allows you to mingle with people from all walks of life. No more getting stuck in the same old groupthink. Get ready for some mind-expanding conversations! 4 Social media makes you depressed and anxious: Nostr is all about keeping it real. Forget about the pressure to portray a perfect life. It's time to embrace imperfections and connect with others on a genuine level. Together, we'll conquer the blues and create a supportive community! That is why you cannot delete anything around here. 5 Social media is destroying your capacity for empathy: On Nostr you can step into someone else's shoes. With direct communication, you'll rediscover the beauty of empathy. It's time to leave behind those objectifying tendencies and engage in meaningful exchanges that nurture our human connection. 6 Social media is making you unhappy: No more keeping up with the virtual Joneses! Nostr values authenticity above all.  There is no need to project a picture-perfect life - If you don’t believe me put on some goggles and enter ‘global’ for a few seconds. Embrace the freedom to be your wonderfully imperfect self and find happiness in genuine connections. 7 Social media doesn't want you to have economic dignity: Nostr breaks the chains of data exploitation! In the Nostrich playground, you own your data and identity. No more being a pawn in the profit game. It's time to reclaim your economic dignity and be the master of your own digital destiny! So if you make something worthwhile you won’t get a useless ‘like’ you will get zapped some bitcoin at the speed of lightning. 8 Social media is making politics impossible: Politics? Let's play nice, shall we? On legacy social media, when people are banned, shadow-banned or just cancelled they are under the impression that other people can see their point of view but the algorithm does not show it to others. Additionally, being able to run a pseudonymous account and say what you believe is empowering. Nostr has had some politicians entering into its playground; we just need to wait for next year’s election to see if Nostr played a role in civil debate.

9 Social media hates your soul: Social media is like that friend who always says "just one more drink" when you're clearly hammered and need to go home. It's designed to be addictive, like a bag of chips you just can't stop eating. Is it really social media's fault that we can't resist the urge to scroll endlessly through our feeds? Maybe we just have short attention spans and need constant stimulation. Sure, social media companies profit from our addiction by creating useless tokens that we can't help but collect. With Nostr, there is no company getting rich off of our obsession. So if we want to get addicted to something, we're going to have to pay for it the old-fashioned way: with our hard-earned cash.

10 Social media is a tool for authoritarianism: Take a stand against Big Brother! Social media platforms can be used by authoritarian governments to control and manipulate their citizens. I emphasize the word can, since the governments can tell those companies that they must comply or they will cut off access from their whole country. With Nostr, power-hungry leaders can wave their hands all they want, but they won't gain an ounce of control. It is like trying to rob a bank by waving around a banana ‘gun’.  Nostr is a protocol, not a company, so bribery is out of the question. And if they want to pull a stunt, they better be prepared to pay in bitcoin, 'cause printing tokens out of thin air is so last season.

Disclaimer. While the concept of a decentralized internet relay service has its merits, the realization of such a platform would require careful design and responsible user behavior. But hey, we can dream big, can't we?