Bestselling Author Leïla Slimani Quits Social Media, Citing Rampant Hate

The successful author of several bestsellers, including "A Sweet Song", "In the Garden of the Ogre", made a final post before closing all her social media accounts. A cover of the book "Goodbye and Thank You" by Jean d’Ormesson, followed by a message explaining the approach: "Today I have decided to leave social media for good, to no longer use Instagram or Facebook," writes Leïla Slimani. She goes on to give the reasons for this decision. "I no longer want to condone networks where hatred is displayed without filter, where no oversight exists, where it is the reign of impunity and demagoguery. And where their founders, in their Silicon Valley offices, have no account to give."

These remarks echo the alert raised by the Netflix-produced documentary "The Social Dilemma," which denounced the excesses caused by social media. In recent years, many voices have criticized the way some use social media for settling scores, for advocating violence of all kinds.

The writer acknowledges having had good times on social media, both professionally and personally. She knows that these communication channels occupy an important place in the social and professional life of everyone. But the flood of hateful speech and incitement to violence recorded in the aftermath of the death of Samuel Paty, the teacher beheaded in France by a fanatic, seems to have taken precedence over the advantages that allowed Leila Slimani to cling to them. "As long as these networks will be an arena where fanatics, haters, racists will twist the concept of freedom of expression to their advantage, it will be without me. These networks are only powerful because we are so many on them. Tonight I disconnect for good, the time to say goodbye and thank you. Tonight, I fall silent and my silence is a tribute to those whom hatred has killed," writes Leïla Slimani.