Restoring Our Sanity Online

“Three and a half decades ago, when I invented the web, the intention was to allow for collaboration, foster compassion, and generate creativity. It was a tool to empower humanity. Yet in the past decade, instead of embodying these values, a few social media platforms have played a part in eroding them. Restoring Our Sanity Online reveals the web’s fascinating journey with powerful anecdotes. The book’s call to action for a human-centered web aligns with my original vision. Mark Weinstein presents a new paradigm for the web and social media that empowers users, reshapes data storage around user-controlled Solid Pods, protects democracy, and eliminates surveillance capitalism. Its vision, which I share, is a digital future that prioritizes human well-being. This is a vital read.”
—SIR TIM BERNERS-LEE, Inventor of the Web

“Technology has a purpose: to do good and to share. Restoring Our Sanity Online is a timely and essential read for those seeking an approach to social media that aligns with this. Mark Weinstein offers a refreshing vision—users are customers to serve, not products to sell. The book presents practical solutions for social media that doesn't rely on tracking users or targeting them with ads. It provides a blueprint for sharing profits with users while championing privacy, mental health, and authentic connections. This is a must-read for anyone concerned with where we are today and looking for a better path forward.”
—STEVE WOZNIAK, Co-founder, Apple Inc.

“Mark Weinstein has long been a leading voice advocating for the responsible use of social media. In this important book, he brings decades of wisdom to bear on one of the most consequential issues of our times—how we can deploy the extraordinary power of social media and AI in ways that align with our collective well-being over the long term. This is essential reading for business leaders, policy makers, and citizens at large.”
—RAJ SISODIA, Co-founder, Conscious Capitalism Inc.

"Mark Weinstein has been a friend for many years. He's one of the inventors of social media, and a decades-long champion of free speech, the right to privacy, and protecting kids online. His new book Restoring Our Sanity Online has waves of jaw-dropping insights and sets the framework for an epic and uplifting reboot of social media. Surveillance capitalism is thrown overboard while authenticity, mental health, personal privacy, civil discourse, and democracy are strengthened. This book is as jaw-dropping entertaining as it is informative and empowering. It's a must read for all of us. Let's turn this bright vision for advancing humanity's genuine connectivity, into reality."  

¯KELLY SLATER, World Surfing Champion

“Mark Weinstein’s Restoring Our Sanity Online is a compelling journey into the heart of the digital age, where the promises of social media collided with the stark realities of its influence on our lives. Combining personal anecdotes and a critical analysis of Big Tech’s evolution, Weinstein offers a hopeful narrative on how we reclaim the internet for its intended purpose–connection and community. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to understand the impact of social media and seeking practical solutions to create a healthier online environment.”
—DR. MARSHALL GOLDSMITH, Bestselling author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

"Social media is changing the world. With it, democracy is in danger, kids are addicted to screens full of misinformation, and we're all losing the ability to be civil. Mark Weinstein is more than a decades-long friend; he has been prophetic as one of social media's inventors, warning us years in advance. Restoring Our Sanity Online is gripping, inspiring, essential reading for all of us. Mark paints a deeply researched, captivating vision, unveiling an exciting, achievable path to social media's future. It's one that nurtures and unites us, empowers and remunerates users, restores connectedness and authenticity, while saving our kids and democracy from the abyss."
—JACK CANFIELD, Bestselling author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series