In today’s onlife world, technology exerts significant influence over various aspects of our lives, influencing our work, social interactions, and leisure activities. Nonetheless, concerns from parents and caregivers regarding the potential harms of excessive social media and smartphone usage, coupled with prevalent narratives highlighting technology-related attention deficits and mental health issues, have intensified worries about the adverse impact on young individuals and even us as adults. Heightened vigilance among parents is particularly evident, fueled by recent media reports discussing a global youth mental health crisis attributed to technology use by our kids. In our opinion, “Unlocked” serves as an effective rebuttal to this pessimistic and fear-driven narrative that is being pushed by some.
What we really appreciated about “Unlocked” – through eight chapters, Dr. Pete Etchells provides a balanced perspective, backed by solid evidence-based science, on the integration of technology in our lives. Through dismantling commonly held technology myths and debunking “zombie statistics” that are being perpetuated by others, Dr. Etchells equips readers with practical strategies for cultivating a healthier relationship with technology. In contrast to other books on this topic, this one doesn’t adopt a pessimistic or alarmist view of technology, but instead offers an “enlightening” rather than “frightening” approach that is balanced and well researched – incredibly refreshing!
For those unfamiliar with Dr. Etchells, here’s a brief biography sourced from his website:
“I’m a professor of psychology and science communication at Bath Spa University. My research looks at the behavioural and wellbeing effects of playing video games, and I’m also interested in metascientific issues regarding best practice in digital technology effects research. I’m also a science writer, with articles featured in New Scientist, Science Focus, the Guardian, the Observer, the New York Times, WIRED, the Telegraph, and more. For five years I was the Guardian’s science blog network coordinator, and I’ve been a science consultant for BBC’s Horizon.”
If we were to draw a parallel between Dr. Etchells, a psychologist, and a medical professional he would align more closely with a medical specialist such as a heart surgeon or a neurosurgeon, rather than a general practitioner akin to a family doctor. Dr. Etchells doesn’t just collect and interpret research, he conducts the research and surrounds himself with others around the world who do so as well – important distinction.
Through captivating storytelling drawn from personal experiences and family anecdotes, combined with good and credible evidence-based research, Dr. Etchells offers a compelling narrative that challenges prevailing beliefs about the negative impacts of screen time and technology. In fact, Dr. Etchells advocates for a shift away from the concept of “screen time,” and “tech addiction” providing a thoughtful and comprehensive explanation for this paradigm shift in his book.
Dr. Etchells invites readers to reevaluate prevalent fear based academic narratives, particularly prominent here in North America, regarding technology’s negative impact on our lives. He encourages a more nuanced understanding, emphasizing that the existing evidence-based research reveals a complex relationship with technology, contrary to the simplistic “causal” explanations often promoted by other academic scholars who promote the doom and gloom of technology.
In his book, Dr. Etchells astutely highlights, “If you blunder your way into the numbers without thinking about how or why you are doing it, you run the very real risk of finding seemingly strong correlations which may well be spurious.” – emphasizing the challenge of pushing back against this prevailing narrative. However, Dr. Etchells adeptly navigates this task, presenting his arguments in a clear, accessible, and easily understood manner, buttressed through cited research, that resonates with readers, a feat not easily achieved.
This is not a book written for academics, but rather for parents, caregivers, and educators or anyone else who is not a researcher. Dr Etchells does a good job at taking the research based academic gobbledygook of his profession, and translating it into information that can be easily digested by us non-academics who are interested in this important topic – especially when it comes to our kids.
What we truly appreciated about “Unlocked” – it offers an evidence-based push back to the “fear based” narrative being thrust by others and empowers readers to navigate the digital landscape with informed confidence. It encourages reflection and action, urging individuals to reclaim agency and cultivate a healthier relationship with their use of technology. As Dr Etchells stated in his book, “Being reflective about what we are doing as well as how, why, and when we are doing it is one of a few better habits that we can all start developing if we want to have healthier relationships with screens”
It should also be stressed that Dr Etchells in his book acknowledges that for some, technology can have negative emotional, psychological, physical, and social consequences. However, the important question that he poses is:
“So instead of asking, does social media use cause mental health issues? perhaps a better question might be: why do some people prosper online while others get into real difficulty?”
An excellent question, which Dr. Etchells stated it’s currently being researched by him and others in his field!
Also, in chapter six of his book, titled “Ghouls In The Machine,” Dr. Etchells scrutinizes social media and tech companies, holding them accountable for their actions and in actions – recommending what he believes should happen to overcome this challenge.
Rather than advocating for blanket technology bans or age gating policy, “Unlocked” encourages a nuanced approach emphasizing the importance of asking critical questions about our screen usage and its societal context. Through personal anecdotes and cited good evidence-based research, Dr. Etchells highlights the need to reframe our understanding of technology, based upon facts and not fear, that can impact on our lives. In his last chapter, Dr. Etchells offers these 5 goals to help us navigate the onlife world in a reasonable and balanced way:
#1 – We need to stop talking about screen time
#2 – We need to reframe our thinking in terms of screen habits
#3 – We need to interrogate and reflect on our screen habits, and we should do this often
#4 – We need to build up a repertoire of strategies to tweak the habits that aren’t working for us
#5 – We need to be more critical – not just of our own tech use, but of what we’re told about our tech use
After reading “Unlocked”, you will understand the strategies for achieving these five goals for yourself and your family. This book is essential reading for all parents, caregivers, and even digital literacy advocates. Dr Etchells book guides us toward becoming an “enlightened” rather than a “frightened” parent, caregiver, or educator in today’s digitally ubiquitous onlife world. As Dr Etchells stated in his book:
“That device in your pocket isn’t destroying a generation; whether you like it or not, it’s an integral part of it. So, the next time you see a doom-laden headline about the supposedly deleterious effects of digital technology, don’t just blindly agree (or even disagree) with it; instead, consider what the evidence might be for such a claim, and whether this presents an opportunity to think about how best to make screens work for you in your own life. After all, screens aren’t going away any time soon, so let’s make them work for us”
The White Hatter
Note – Currently, Dr. Etchells’ book is unavailable for purchase at physical bookstores in Canada or the United States. However, it can be purchased online through Amazon and shipped from the UK.
