Log Off: How to Stay Connected After Disconnecting

Technology journalist Snow shares in his snappy debut how, after realizing he had gone nearly five years without spending a single day without his phone, he realized the toxicity of screens and developed a strategy for balance. “Our generation has the pathetic distinction of rearing smartphone orphans,” he writes. “The very devices that were meant to free us are making us negligent friends, parents, and lovers.” During a trip to Montana, he was forced to disconnect and began to realize that he and his family were happier and more engaged without instant access to the internet. He then canceled his data plan, set limits for his working hours, and committed to exercising more, which instantly made his life more “productive and invigorating.” While he offers 10 steps for readers interested in doing the same—such as establishing an accountability partner, becoming a late adopter to technology, and periodically fasting from electronics—he doesn’t advise following his exact routine and encourages readers to incorporate some of the lessons. In pithy, freewheeling prose, Snow jumps between exploring his early fixations with the internet and signaling an alarm of concern. “If we don’t stop to recalibrate... we’ll go from alarming habits to widespread burnout, debilitating attention spans, and universal anxiety disorder.” Snow’s warnings and strategies for dealing with internet overuse will be a wake-up call and road map for readers looking to limit screen time. (BookLife)