Professor Pozzulo’s Pick (October, 2025)

 

Professor Pozzulo’s Pick (October, 2025)

Smartphone Nation: Why We're All Addicted to Our Screens and What You and Your Family Can Do About It, by Dr. Kaitlyn Regehr (2025, published by Knopf Canada)


My take:

Although smartphones seem ubiquitous, managing them so that your well-being isn’t negatively impacted can be challenging. In Smartphone Nation, Regehr (2025) provides a powerful, behind the scenes view of how tech firms control our screen time. She provides a practical guide on how to take back control and educate those who may be vulnerable.

Regehr asks (and answers) several critical questions around “screen consumption”— what is our screen consumption doing to how we think and understand the world? She provides several strategies on how to take action so that the information coming at us is what we want rather than what the tech firms want to give us. Regehr also provides tips on spotting misinformation.

This book is an education on technology, social media, and screen time. Regehr raises our consciousness of what is happening behind the screen. You quickly come to realize that everyone has a digital footprint and that information is used to sell you product and make you think in a particular way. There were numerous terms used throughout the book that I had never heard of, such as attention economy, sharenting, and you-loops, highlighting the importance of having digital literacy education, i.e., “giving people technical and critical thinking skills to let them evaluate their engagement with the digital space and the content they consume within it”.

Regehr provides a number of case examples that describe how social media content can exacerbate vulnerabilities in people’s mental and physical health. There are several links provided to organizations and resources that offer information and support.

This book is an essential user manual for anyone who engages in screen time. It will have you rethinking your online choices and behaviour. I am so glad I read it! A must read for anyone who uses the internet!

Have you tried any of the strategies to change the way you interact with your screen? Have you taken a “screen holiday”? Have you taken note of how you feel before and after you interact with social media? Have you altered your social media behaviour?


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