From Smartphones to Social Media

Book excerpt: This book examines how today's technology, as it includes smartphones, computers, and the internet, shapes our physical health, cognitive and psychological development, and interactions with one another and the world around us. Technology has become a ubiquitous part of modern life, but its impact on our physical, psychological, and social health and development runs just as deep as does our dependence upon it. How is the development of babies' brains affected by their playing with their parents' smartphones and tablets? How have computers altered the way we process and learn information? How have texting and social networking sites such as Facebook changed the way in which we interact with others? Can online dating lead to meaningful real-world relationships? From Smartphones to Social Media investigates these questions and many complex issues related to technology. Readers will discover what researchers know about how the use of technology affects us through accessibly written, thematic chapters. The main text is complemented by a collection of case studies and interviews with a variety of experts, providing insight into how technology's positive and negative effects manifest in our everyday lives and what we can do to mediate the negative ones.