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FROM SONYA:
"Why are we so depressed and lonely? That shouldn't be the case - the more connected we are, the happier and more fulfilled we should be. Yet we're not. We're one of the loneliest societies that has ever been."
- Glow Kids by Nicholas Kardaras
I'm sure we've all wrestled with questions about screens - whether it's for ourselves or for our children. How much is too much? Are there truly any benefits to children using screens for learning? Should we be completely screen free?
From addiction expert, Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, comes a startling argument that technology has profoundly affected the brains of children - and not for the better.
I'm not a sciencey person in the least. So while this book is filled with scientific information about addiction and how that can be manifested in regard to screens, the author explains it very well and I was able to follow along without feeling overwhelmed.
I literally read this book in about 24 hours because it was so interesting and would definitely recommend it (with caution). *Please see below
FROM THE BOOK:
We’ve all seen them: kids hypnotically staring at glowing screens in restaurants, in playgrounds, and in friends' houses―and the numbers are growing. Like a virtual scourge, the illuminated glowing faces―the Glow Kids―are multiplying. But at what cost? Is this just a harmless indulgence or fad like some sort of digital hula-hoop? Some say that glowing screens might even be good for kids―a form of interactive educational tool.
Don’t believe it.
In Glow Kids, Dr. Nicholas Kardaras will examine how technology―more specifically, age-inappropriate screen tech, with all of its glowing ubiquity―has profoundly affected the brains of an entire generation. Brain imaging research is showing that stimulating glowing screens are as dopaminergic (dopamine activating) to the brain’s pleasure center as sex. And a growing mountain of clinical research correlates screen tech with disorders like ADHD, addiction, anxiety, depression, increased aggression, and even psychosis. Most shocking of all, recent brain imaging studies conclusively show that excessive screen exposure can neurologically damage a young person’s developing brain in the same way that cocaine addiction can.
Kardaras will dive into the sociological, psychological, cultural, and economic factors involved in the global tech epidemic with one major goal: to explore the effect all of our wonderful shiny new technology is having on kids. Glow Kids also includes an opt-out letter and a "quiz" for parents in the back of the book.
MY RATING: ☆☆☆☆
☆ star = highly disliked & probably didn't finish.
☆☆ stars = wouldn't recommend.
☆☆☆ stars = mostly good but may have some concerns.
☆☆☆☆stars = very good.
☆☆☆☆☆ stars = reserved for my absolute favorite books.
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:
The author provides some very deep and graphic examples of historical outcomes of media and gaming addictions. This book is definitely geared more toward people who may have a family member that is struggling with strong gaming to technology addictions. That being said, it was good for me to read this book and be able to take a look at my own technology habits. There is also some language throughout the book.
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