This book is a boon to busy, beleaguered parents, because it is both quick and easy reading and beautifully laid out and put together. The book is full of good ideas for reducing family screen time. It goes a step beyond the usual writing on this subject, addressing the larger underlying issues that our new gadgets and gizmos have brought about in such a short time.
I appreciate that author Tanya Goodin isn't on a quest to eliminate screens. She acknowledges that there are big advantages to using them wisely but warns, "We need to be mindful, not mindless, when using our devices." That really speaks to me, and has helped me to gently examine my own patterns of cellphone use.
I also like that the author doesn't just tell us to be mindful; she tells us how. My favorite exercise is on pages 61-62, "Mindful Scrolling," where she invites us to set an intention, set a time limit, and (!) notice how accurately we estimated the length of time the task would take. This really spoke to me; since beginning to do this some of the time, I am way less inclined to just zone out and scroll on and on through almost random stuff, oblivious time going and by and to all the other wonderful things I am NOT doing as I sit there.
I love that the author encourages families to get outside and notice that there is a beautiful natural world outside, as illustrated this with beautiful photographs, She offers a useful protocol for family discussions about decreasing screen time, where kids get to be part of the discussion, and fun alternatives are suggested.
The author's tone is warm, caring, and family-oriented, and especially, very sensitive to the kinds of issues that families might encounter as they work through this process. In fact, my one reservation might be that so many of the ideas are geared to families, rather than adults alone. That is hardly a real criticism, as most of the material in the book can be adapted easily.
For the usual more specific ideas about phone use, I have found "How to Break up with your Phone" by Catherine Price to be a good complement to this book. Both highly recommended!
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well written and the photos are beautiful, it just isn't what I was hoping for.
Like other reviewers have mentioned, this is a very brief book. My reason for wanting to read it was to get more information about how technology and EMFs are unsafe for our health and ways to balance life with technology and spend less time on screens. I was dissapointed because it never really mentioned anything about our physical health besides the effects on our eyes and necks after staring at a screen for long periods of time. The book mentioned how sleep can be poorly hindered because of exposure to blue light. There is so much more to it than that. It spoke briefly about effects on mental health which was nice. Each section was so short and full of beautiful photography. The maps weren't helpful to me. If the photos and maps weren't there it would be short enough to be like a coffee table book or website. There's nothing wrong with it being a brief introduction to get you thinking but I felt like it was more of a study guide for a bigger book. I felt like most sections started out pretty repetitive. I also don't understand why you have to persuade your children to spend less time on screen as if you aren't the parent allowed to make rules. I do like the ideas for compromise though because between all of the different reasons to be on screens it's not simple enough to just say no screens between 4-6pm. The activities to do as a family sometimes felt more like group activities at school or camp instead of home family activities. I love the suggestions about outside activities and camping or the ideas about music and board games. I hope this book introduces families to how much staring at a screen hinders communication and everything you miss when you don't sit it down to really listen to someone talk to you. The book is well written and the photos are beautiful, it just isn't what I was hoping for. If you look at it as an introduction to get you thinking about time off screen you will be happy.
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2019
- Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2019
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- Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2019
Top reviews from other countries
- Scott McGreadyReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 29, 2018
Wasn't a fan of the idea of "digital detox" before but this book changed my mind
I'll be honest - the concept of putting down my phone/tablet/laptop for an extended period of time actually slightly terrified me. I didn't want to miss anything and wanted to present this appearance to my co-workers and friends that I was 100% contactable any time, any day, anywhere. Reading this book though I've realised that I'm somewhat a slave to modern technology as corny as that sounds and actively making changes to using technology for good, rather than idly as we eat dinner, or watch TV.Scott McGreadyWasn't a fan of the idea of "digital detox" before but this book changed my mind
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 29, 2018
We now ban phone usage during board games nights, and following the 20-20-20 rule (after a few days, wasn't an insta-cure), I get fewer headaches.
Well worth reading!
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- The luckiest women in the worldReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2019
Screens aren't going anywhere. So begin your family digital detox today for a happier home
- STM IT SupportReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 26, 2018
Informational and an eye opener for all!
I love this book! Whether you think your own tech/life balance needs adjusting or not, this book is great at opening your eyes and helping you reconnect with reality; not only for yourself but also with the rest of the family!STM IT SupportInformational and an eye opener for all!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 26, 2018
Tanya has once again impressed me with her second book. I cannot wait for book three.
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- paulbradReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2018
shallow
