I found this little book incredibly fascinating. Personally, I think that anyone who has small children or who is planning to have children should be required to read it. As a matter of fact, I plan to get a copy for my daughter and her husband who have yet to have a child.

I admit I am not surprised by what Hansen reveals, but I am a little stunned at the detrimental effect of cellphones (and tablets) on the intelligence and general well-being of humans. We are literally dumbing ourselves down by our addiction to them.

Fortunately, there is a solution to our addiction if we are just willing to see it through, and it’s not just spending less time scrolling through our social media, playing games, and looking for more dopamine hits on our devices. Anders offers the research behind why other things can help with this.

Hansen also offers lots of proof and references many, many studies about the information he provides. He has an incredibly thorough bibliography, as well.

Anders Hansen's book uses both evolution and multitudes of scientific studies to show how modern technology distracts us in our everyday lives. He also talks not only about how cell phones and tablets impact adults' mental health, but also that of children. The worst of these culprits is the time people spend on social media. There are also good tips in here about how to disconnect from your phone and be more physically active to help improve your attention span. The information is broken down into easily digestible information without a lot of jargon, making this super accessible to the general public. Recommended for those who want to be less reliant on their phones and tablets.

My thanks to Zeitgeist and the author, plus NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

This book was very interesting and informative. It had a ton of fascinating data, and I really liked the focus on the evolutionary reasons for many of our habits and responses. Even where some of the recommendations, such as limiting social media use and exercising regularly, weren’t new information, the data presented and the roots in evolutionary rationale provided a new perspective on the advice. I also really liked that there was a concise list of action steps at the end of the book.

Thoughts: The beginning of this book is what really caught my attention as I scrolled through several pages of nothing but dots. 10,000 of them to be exact. This is the history of humanity. Eight dots equals how long in that history we’ve had cars, electricity, and running water. Three dots equals computers, planes, and cell phones. And one single dot is for those who have never been without modern technology. I found that intriguing.

The book itself is rather short – 189 pages – and easy to read. Rather than giving you a lot of psychological rhetoric, he breaks that all down into bits you can actually understand. He does point out the negative impact that our phones/electronics have on us, especially young people. I also liked that at the end of the book, he breaks it all down into small bites that we can use to help ourselves. Things like: get 2 hours of exercise per week (this actually helps with focus); log your cell phone use; turn off the electronics an hour before bed, and more. The suggestions are something we can all do in order to help ourselves.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book from Zeitgeist (Penguin Random House) with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

@zeitgeist #partner

I really enjoyed reading this book and will refer back to it. Anyone looking for the why’s and how’s of reducing screen time would find this book extremely useful.

A fascinating collection of pertinent studies that explore human attention span, reward systems, and more in order to discuss how and why we navigate today's world, particularly the iPhone and social media. It certainly will have readers reevaluating their relationship with their smart phone. I found the chapter about dopamine being a motivational tool particularly interesting, The foundation of social media is also incredibly important to keep in mind, especially regarding mental health and young people. That said, I wish there had been more practical solutions listed. For example, it's highlighted that folks should keep their phones in another room; however, in the modern work force, parents need to have their phones on them in case school/daycares call. Security at companies also often require double authentication that requires another device. A little more room could've been dedicated to practical advice for distancing themselves from apps/devices. Overall, an interesting read that will surely spark many conversations.

Finally, a qualified writer whose writing is evidence-based. Many news oversimplify and generalise scientific studies, and remove the specifics and nuances. I admit that Hansen’s book might not be for everyone, especially they have not read the blurb and look for a ‘fix’ fix. Hansen’s summarising and discussions of the studies and the realities around evolution, the modern society and attention are the fix. By understanding what makes us less attentive, we can take charge of our focus. Whether the information and the studies mentioned are new to you or not, this book is a well-structured and discussed reminder.
I wish this were longer.

A solid general overview of the science of attention with excellent advice for those who strive to improve their attention.

Thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher of this book for the copy of my arc. I am enjoying this book and will read more. I’m loving this book.
Pub date is on November 12,2024 and I definitely need to grab myself a physical copy of this book so I can highlight and annotate it.

Full review to follow but it is already 5 stars for me.

This book uses recent scientific research to show the real impact of screen addiction. The book itself is pretty short and I love the research done. It's mainly about how social media is causing us to have a short attention span. Some parts, like evolution, I didn't agree with, but overall it was an interesting read.

This is an important and well-written book. I appreciate that most of the author’s claims were backed up by evidence. Additionally, there were a lot of practical suggestions for how to improve attention and health. Even though this book is similar to many others being sold today, there were still a few points that I hadn’t seen before. The book talks a lot about how evolution explains the humans are today, which was interesting, even though I didn’t always find it convincing considering that some of what we do today is very adversarial to our health and survival. I still think this book is a necessary read for today - and especially vital for people involved in the lives of children. I found a lot to apply both in my teaching and in my parenting (not to mention my own screen habits!). I give this book 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free eARC. This review will be posted on Goodreads and Amazon closer to publication.