The Big Disconnect

Starred review from June 24, 2013
In a book that should be required reading for all parents, Steiner-Adair examines the extraordinary negative impact of the digital revolution on parents and children. A practicing clinical psychologist and parent, Steiner-Adair shares cautionary tales from her work with children and adolescents, families, and schools, as well as the work of her colleagues. Her deepest concern lies with parents who, because of their use of technology (smart phones, iPadâs, the Internet), are distracted from their children at moments when they would otherwise have been engaged. From birth, babies sense this distraction, so she suggests that parents âfollow the consensus of expert medical, scientific, psychological, and other child development opinion to leave tech out of your babyâs life for the first twenty-four months.â She sounds the alarm consistently throughout her book. Preschool-age children have told her âhow disheartening it is to have to vie for their parentâs attention and often come in secondâ to technology. She ties the âdramatic riseâ in ADD/ADHD diagnoses to the ânegative effects of media and screen play on childrenâs self-regulation, attention, aggressive behaviors, sleep, and play patterns.â In addition to discussing examples of cyberbullying, she explores tweens and teensâ lack of real-life connections as they conduct more of their social lives online. Throughout this highly readable study, Steiner-Adair offers sound and sympathetic advice regarding this unprecedented ârevolution in the living room.â Agent: Kim Witherspoon, InkWell Management.

March 1, 2013

Parents text relentlessly or worship the computer screen, while children learn more from social media than from school. The result? Distorted family dynamics and children unable to develop sustaining relationships. Advice from a clinical psychologist.

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