TESTIMONIALS
PRAISE FOR
DELETE ME: THE TRUTH ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION
(Formerly: D.S.M. 7 STEPS TO SOCIAL MEDIA ABSTINENCE)
Sure, social media has positive implications. Capture your life moments to share with family and friends, keep up to date with loved ones, or reconnect with an old friend. But social media comes with its negative implications, which in my opinion, far outweigh the good. The D.S.M. 7 illustrates the evolution of this battlefield. The first wars were fought with stick and stone, today war consist in psychological warfare. How do you combat something that is invisible and subconsciously not aware of? ‘They’ don’t have the need to physically dominate you if your mind can be compromised. The glorious prize to ‘them’, is seizing your mind.
Social media is a grave threat to our youth. The psychological engineering done on our youth today should be every parent’s concern. Not only can social media distort your child’s perception of their own reality, but it is a breeding ground of criminal activity. This book delivers invaluable public safety information about online crime and risks in an exciting and accessible manner. Take one second, and imagine a world where criminals had invisibility cloaking. Would that make you a little more hyper-vigilant about stepping outside? The consistency with people subjected to cyber-attacks, is that they all thought it wouldn’t happen to them. In this vast sea of people, what are the chances? Right? No matter how big or small you think you are, it only takes one single click to turn your world upside down. It’s time to unplug.
Jonathan Webb | Law Enforcement | U.S. Army Veteran
Having experienced the exacerbating affects of social media on mental illness in my own family, and the consequences that it can have on family, friends, and health. I watched my ex-wife suffer really bad from social media addiction and I’m sure it contributed to her breakdown and hospitalization. I think this book will serve as a great first step to help those who are struggling with social media addiction to recognize and work their way out of it. The writing is both accessible and personal. I will be sending copies as gifts.
Dan Thomas-Spiegel | Business Owner
I really enjoyed reading this book. D.S.M. 7 delivers important information on why social media is awful in a compelling and digestible form. It’s well written with tons of informative detail. This book was definitely an eye opener for me. Social media was playing a horrible role in my life. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I was severely addicted to it, but after reading this book I’m finally trying to stop. I didn’t know just how many dangers there were until now.
Ashley Grant | Child Development Care Provider
The illicit online substance trade is no joke. D.S.M. 7 Steps to Social Media Abstinence is a great proactive approach to keeping kids from damaging websites and applications that expose them to deadly drugs.
Cliff Scholnick | U.S. Customs and Border Protection Senior Officer, Department of Homeland Security
This book is beautifully written. J.A. Thomas connects with the audience by revealing her own vulnerabilities, truths, and experiences. I have not fallen under the seduction of social media but know people who have. Reading this helped me to better understand what leads the people we love into social media entrapment and addiction—our families, friends, neighbors— and keeps them hooked. I liked the scientific examples and connections to addictions such as gambling DSM criteria. This book is full of action and actionable, and I the IDGAF acronym approach for staying offline provides a sustainable (and memorable) method. This is an extremely powerful tool to help people. Sometimes people spend so much time in their fake worlds they forget to appreciate the real ones. Also, J.A. is the Sh*t (Sincere, Humble, Intelligent, Talented).
Cameron Duncan | Director of Change Management & Communications, Camdun
Definitely an important topic in this current social climate. I couldn’t agree more. Social media is such a toxic environment that grips so many people.
Jenna | International Global Finance & Economics Student
Armed with extensive case studies and a mountain of research, J.A. Thomas exposes the dirty little secret shared by the “Big 5” corporate giants of the Social Media oligarchy: beneath its seductive surface of proxies for genuine human connection, lies a nefarious, for-profit rabbit hole ironically leading to painful social decay. Tragically, for numerous users, Social Media has become a conduit for addiction, depression, drugs, and sex trafficking. Thomas deftly illustrates parallels with the gambling industry and the harsh realities of the gambler’s consuming addiction to a fantasy in which “the house” ultimately wins. However, Thomas doesn’t stop with raising the red flag but offers alternatives and a path out of the rabbit hole towards more fulfilling life experiences. As a career web and social media developer and technologist who has witnessed family and friends lose themselves in the Social Media vortex, I am grateful for The D.S.M. 7's eye-opening, thought-provoking, and yet hopeful message.
Eric Wood | Technology Entrepreneur
I was a bit surprised to find that even passive users of social media can be impacted negatively. I never really thought about it as I pride myself on being a passive user, but the more I think about and after reading this book, the more I believe it still negatively impacts even inactive accounts. That's scary to say the least. The D.S.M. 7 is engaging and important. It serves as a warning-- a very important one.
Matthew Ruza | Environmental Conservationist & Engineer
Parents. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK. This is a must read for both parents and kids. It’s time to get off social media. It’s more dangerous than you’d think and D.S.M. 7 shows you why. As a cop and public safety professional, I can tell you so many first hand accounts of how social media is not only a gateway to the illicit substance & sex trades, violence and self harm, but also an addictive and dangerous substance in and of itself. It ruins lives. Unfortunately those dialogues have been hidden from the public (until now). D.S.M. 7 exposes invaluable public safety information in a powerful, straightforward manner. This is the book Silicon Valley doesn’t want you to read.
Todd Byron | Ret. Law Enforcement and Fire Fighter
Honestly, I've always thought the addiction to social media can be compared to addiction to alcohol and this book illustrates why this analogy is even more dire than I dreaded. For drinking, it's okay and regular for most people to consume in moderation and helps social situations. It's also fun. But for some, though "one is too many and a thousand is never enough."
Sabrina Webman
This deserves the attention of all parents. As a police officer, I can tell you that social media has become a platform to bully and manipulate with very little consequence to the aggressor. Social media takes the soul out of communication creating a toxic environment in which children, and adults alike, can continue an onslaught of bullying at all hours of the day and night. This gives the victim little to no rest or recovery from the verbal assault. Although there can be positives, in my opinion, there needs to me a mental maturity and "tough skin" that should be taught to children before being allowed to participate.
Kevin Tanski | Law Enforcement, New York
Educational, engaging and life saving! J.A. Thomas sounds the alarm on the coercive and destructive force that is big social. Drawing from her vast, diverse and very personal experiences, Thomas not only enlightens us of the clinical symptoms of social media addiction, but shares a pathway to freedom in form of just seven steps to quit social media and stay off.
J.A. Thomas takes an important but very dark and depressing subject, and makes it a fun and interesting read for both the clinician and the layperson alike by injecting unexpected humor. Chock full of wit and wisdom. This book will help you change your life for the better and allow you to proudly proclaim … I’m offline.