The numbers make this clear. In 2005, about 7 percent of American adults used social media. But by 2017, 80 percent of American adults used Facebook alone. About 3.5 billion people on the planet, out of 7.7 billion, are active social media participants. Globally, during a typical day, people post 500 million tweets, share over 10 billion pieces of Facebook content, and watch over a billion hours of YouTube video.

As social media platforms have grown, though, the once-prevalent, gauzy utopian vision of online community has disappeared. Along with the benefits of easy connectivity and increased information, social media has also become a vehicle for disinformation and political attacks from beyond sovereign borders.

“Social media disrupts our elections, our economy, and our health,” says Aral, who is the David Austin Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Now Aral has written a book about it. In “The Hype Machine,” published this month by Currency, a Random House imprint, Aral details why social media platforms have become so successful yet so problematic, and suggests ways to improve them.

Read it all.

Why social media has changed the world — and how to fix it.

MIT Professor @sinanaral's new book, “The Hype Machine,” explores the perils and promise of social media in a time of discord.https://t.co/ne2tgs66ne

— Sinan Aral (@sinanaral) September 24, 2020

O God, whose blessed Son became poor that we through his poverty might be rich: Deliver us, we pray thee, from an inordinate love of this world, that inspired by the devotion of thy servant Sergius of Moscow, we may serve thee with singleness of heart, and attain to the riches of the age to come; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

September 25th is the feast of Saint Sergius of Radonezh (born Bartholomew Kirillovich): Rus′ boyar, mystic, forest hermit, Basilian hieromonk, founder and first Hegumen of the Holy Trinity Lavra on Makovets Hill, and wonderworker—who died on this day in 1392, aged 82. pic.twitter.com/4CYS5vGvGs

— Tradical (@NoTrueScotist) September 25, 2020

O renew our spirits and draw our hearts unto Thyself, that our work may not be to us a burden, but a delight; and give us such a mighty love to Thee as may sweeten our obedience. O let us not serve Thee with the spirit of bondage as slaves, but with cheerfulness and gladness, delighting ourselves in Thee and rejoicing in Thy work.

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

Bitteschön😊liebe 🍁🌻 pic.twitter.com/UEnUVUV9bN

— Sezgin Keskin (@sezginkeskin719) September 25, 2020

And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the sabbath; and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority. And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud voice, “Ah! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And reports of him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

–Luke 4:31-37