Ms Gannon helps reader focus on our relationship with technology, how it has changed over the last thirty years, and how we can improve it with insightful studies, references to other great reads, and reflection prompts. She analyzes the addictiveness of social media and the disparity between our digital and physical selves. I particularly enjoyed some of the prompts to take little nostalgia trips and play childhood games like 'I Spy', explore old music collections, reconnecting with old acquaintances, and focusing on the present without reflexively recording through posts. Reminders to unplug and take a tech chill-pill are great lessons for teen through thirty-something readers especially.

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel for free digital copy and libro.fm for the educator ALC! This book will be out 5/31!

What is your relationship with social media?

Obviously, I spend a lot of time on this app, and definitely struggle at times with feeling overwhelmed with Instagram, social media, and my connection to my phone in general.

I went into this thinking book thinking it was going to perhaps be...annoying (😂) and I was very pleasantly surprised. I feel like Gannon speaks to all of the issues/struggles I have been seeing/thinking about/dealing with surround the internet and social media. She brings in real-world examples and experiences and offers both quick and longer practices to help you think more critically (in a positive way) about your relationship with social media and the internet in general.

I was sort of expecting this book to feel preachy and it didn't feel that way AT ALL. She absolutely does not try to tell the reader that in order to have a more fulfilled life they need to shut off everything/completely disconnect. This book is short, quick, and completely accessible. While I read a little of the ebook, I listened to this primarily on audio, and I do want to get a copy of this book to spend some more time reflecting on the practices and prompts Gannon offers.

I definitely recommend if you are feeling blah with social media and/or want to try some things to change your perspective with it!

I found this book really quick and easy to read and enjoyed the “Quick Prompts” throughout the book which helped me relate a lot of the advice in this into my life and identify some habits I have around internet and social media.

I also loved the part about communication and expectations, as I am consistently bad at replying to messages, however, Gannon goes into detail on this point through the book. A nice easy, quick read that I would recommend.

A really interesting and very relevant read for those that feel they spend a bit too much time on social media! I often feel like I need a little weekend detox from social media because it is very oppressing!

This was well written and I really enjoyed. Will probably be purchasing a physical copy to go with my copy of Sabotage by the same author!

Emma Gannon’s Dis-connected brings a re-awakening to the concept of an offline world after the Pandemic lockdowns have ceased. After being forced almost entirely online during the pandemic, Gannon’s latest release prompts us to consider taking time for ourselves, re-connecting with friends and family, and setting boundaries for our e-self.

A thought provoking, quick read about the social media we use and how we have moved from less social and more consumption media.

This book has great points on ending Cancel culture; how about we use a semicolon and not a full stop? As simple as it seems being told to open dialogue instead of shutting others off - it’s an imperative piece of this book and a very important statement.

Have we became too used to an urgency in communication that has also resulted in an urgency to stop communicating?

I enjoyed the quick prompts and lists used within this book - I feel it helped break up text and made it more easily consumed - the prompts also allowed for moments of self reflection, which I intend to use in a journal going forward.

Thank you, Andrews McMeel Publishing & NetGalley for the Advanced E-copy of this book.

Put your phone on airplane mode and read this book! Pretty decent read, felt like you were talking to your friend. Being a millennial myself it is interesting to think about how much technology has changed over the years. This book gave a few good tips on promoting a healthier online environment and I am here for it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book for my honest review.

Oh this was an interesting read discussing the benefits and pitfalls of social media. The advice was pretty practical so mostly a reminder to use features like mute and unfollow for your mental health. I especially enjoyed the reflection prompts.

Disconnected provides fantastic insight to finding ways to rediscover ones self in a consistently connected society. It is a joke that we would not know what to do without the internet. Yet, the more connected we are, it is no longer a joke.

I work from home, so I'm always plugged in. I mentioned that to someone while connected to Zoom and chatting over the vpn on my college's server. I realized at that moment that it was no longer a joke. I've been so plugged in and completely tuned out the world around that Emma's book merely scratches the surface for me. Outside my family, I realized I haven't had human interaction face-to-face in nearly a year.

Taking a few prompts from Disconnected, I plan to start reconnecting with the world around me. I hope Emma writes more on this. Her view of how Twitter virtually decided everything for her is exactly how I feel about Instagram now,

Thank you to the publisher, Emma Gannon, and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this insightful e-arc.

If you are currently re-examining your relationship to social media, or trying to re-form your relationship to the internet in general, RUN to your nearest bookstore to pick up this book.
I've read a spate of books about modern society's relationship to the internet, and I think this is one of the best. It is definitely the most helpful because Emma Gannon included workbook-esque prompts you can complete that help you reflect on yourself as a citizen of the net/ a human.

This is a piece that is so needed because Gannon writes from a genuine place because of her own relationship to social media. Unlike other writers/pundits about this topic, Gannon does not shame her reader. She doesn't prescribe, she doesn't tell us what we should or shouldn't do. She talks about what we can do. She talks about how we can re-frame not reject. It's extremely refreshing to hear these takes from someone who acknowledges that cutting out all social media / internet is not just hard, it can literally be impossible.

What she does focus on is ideas, tips and tricks about how to bring our humanity online. How to re connect with ourselves and others offline while simultaneously using the internet as a force for strong communities and conversations.

Emma Gannon writes in a young, fresh voice that makes you feel like you're just having a chat with your friend. What I appreciated the most was how she talks about her own need for validation on social media as it's something we all experienced. I appreciate how open she is about that.

This is such a short, quick read, I highly recommend that all citizens of the internet pick it up. I can't wait to turn some of my reflections into actions.

“According to the online magazine “Inc.”, we tap, swipe and click on our phones 2,617 times per day.”

Emma Gannon’s latest book, “Disconnected”, is a book which I believe will benefit anyone who spends time on the internet and who has a social media account. It’s not about digital detoxing but rather about making your time on social media count so your days and nights are not reduced to endless scrolling.

Gannon writes about the importance of living in the present, spending time connecting with your loved ones offline and doing more of the things which make you happy, in order to live a more balanced life.

“Disconnect” is wise, considered, practical and well written. It includes frequent prompts, allowing you to reflect on your own use of time. It is food for thought for anyone who experiences internet fatigue and others who are frustrated with the lack of freedom and quality time in their days due to ingrained social media habits. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Synopsis

Lockdowns, Zoom meetings, and reduced physical contact have made us more dependent on the internet than ever before—and now we want to log off.

“Disconnected” is a little book about reclaiming our humanity in our increasingly digitized, monetized world. Our focus on community and real connection has been sent off-course, and we're becoming more aware of how the algorithm manipulates us and how our data has made us a product to be sold. So, where do we go from here, and how can we get back on track? “Disconnected” examines these topics and offers tangible tips and advice for those of us who might feel a little lost and are looking to find our real-life selves again.

A huge thank you to @NetGalley and @AndrewsMcMeel for the ARC of this interesting and informative book.

3/5 stars - When I started reading this, I was completely expecting a "kids these days" or "technology is eating your brain" kind of argument. That's not what I got. Gannon delivered a sobering (but not perfect by any means) description of our digital lives, along with fun, specific prompts for self-reflection.

I ironically and unfortunately had to read this book on my phone, basically scrolling through a loooong PDF. I was distracted at least every 5-10 minutes by some kind of notification. It was a little unsettling but spoke to a lot of what I read.

I made a point to stop and write several times (with paper and pen instead of my notes app, begrudgingly) in response to the prompts scattered throughout. I don't think the prompts are strictly for writing, but journaling comes naturally to me. It's not for everyone, and it takes quite a bit of time, but this was a really effective way for me to reflect. I loved the prompts and will likely go back to them in the future.

My main qualm with this book is that it somewhat lacks awareness of the current state of social media for young people. Gannon talks at length about influencers and the insecurity embedded within one's "like" count, but doesn't acknowledge, for example, the new and dangerous lack of anonymity for content creators on TikTok, or the prospect of having a "finsta." At one point, Gannon suggests that people are widely starting to lose interest in social media entirely. Older millennials might be, but as a middle school teacher I can say confidently that Gen Z-ers are more addicted than ever.

This is really specific, but I also took issue with Gannon's explicit definition of a tribe as "a group of people who need you to do certain things in order for them to accept you." I'm Indigenous and referring to your group of friends as a "tribe" is inherently appropriative/just kind of weird. Sorry not sorry.

Still, this book is jam-packed with good advice. I'm generally not a self-help reader, but Gannon offered a lot of rich suggestions for community building, reflecting, unplugging, and de-stressing. I recommend this book to anyone concerned about their screen time or general inability to stop scrolling. Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read this for free.

This is definitely a book I will keep coming back to and read again and again. How true the title alone is. With so many different social media apps out there now its hard to learn to disconnect from it. I have already recommended this book, I enjoyed it so much.