Is Technology Making Us Sick? - Softcover

Ian Douglas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 050029531X ISBN 13: 9780500295311

Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 2020

Synopsis

The Big Idea shortlisted for series design in the British Design and Production Awards

Modern technology has enhanced our lives in numerous ways – we can now communicate in real time with friends and colleagues around the world, and do our shopping and banking without leaving home. But, as technology crowds further into our personal lives, is it doing us more harm than good? Are we becoming anxious, depressed and socially isolated, unaware of the manipulating influence of algorithms designed to keep us engaged and to filter the picture of the world we see? Has our online gaming or gambling unwittingly developed into a disturbing addiction? This rigorous and insightful volume assesses the impact of our increased screen time and daily interactions with personal technology on our individual choices, our relationships, and our mental and physical health, and suggests how best to mitigate any adverse effects.

Table of Contents

Introduction • Fear of technology • Living with technology • Becoming hooked • Solutions for restoring health • Conclusion

About this title

About the Authors

Ian Douglas has written widely on science, technology, health, child development and the ways in which they all collide. He spent many years at the Telegraph writing on these topics and as digital development editor. He also ran the website for the British Library and was head of digital at the Spectator.

Matthew Taylor is Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation. Prior to that he was for 15 years Chief Executive of the RSA, a 250-year-old British institution devoted to enriching society through ideas and action to deliver a 21st-century enlightenment. A writer, public speaker and broadcaster, he has written numerous articles on policy, politics, public service reform and cultural theory, and frequently appears on Newsnight, The Daily Politics, and Radio 4’s Today and The Moral Maze. He was previously General Secretary and Chief Executive of the Institute for Public Policy Research, Britain’s leading think tank.

From the Back Cover

Modern technology has enhanced our lives in numerous ways – we can now communicate in real time with friends and colleagues around the world, and do our shopping and banking without leaving home. But, as technology crowds further into our personal lives, is it doing us more harm than good? Are we becoming anxious, depressed and socially isolated, unaware of the manipulating influence of algorithms designed to keep us engaged and to filter the picture of the world we see? Has our online gaming or gambling unwittingly developed into a disturbing addiction? This rigorous and insightful volume assesses the impact of our increased screen time and daily interactions with personal technology on our individual choices, our relationships, and our mental and physical health, and suggests how best to mitigate any adverse effects.

Edition details

• Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 050029531X
• ISBN 13: 9780500295311
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144
• Editor: Matthew Taylor