iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us [Hardcover]

Larry D. Rosen (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 27, 2012

iDisorder: changes to your brain's ability to process information and your ability to relate to the world due to your daily use of media and technology resulting in signs and symptoms of psychological disorders - such as stress, sleeplessness, and a compulsive need to check in with all of your technology. Based on decades of research and expertise in the "psychology of technology," Dr. Larry Rosen offers clear, down-to-earth explanations for why many of us are suffering from an "iDisorder." Rosen offers solid, proven strategies to help us overcome the iDisorder we all feel in our lives while still making use of all that technology offers. Our world is not going to change, and technology will continue to penetrate society even deeper leaving us little chance to react to the seemingly daily additions to our lives. Rosen teaches us how to stay human in an increasingly technological world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Thoughtful, clearly written and full of ideas and data you'll want to throw into dinner-party conversation"--The New York Times

“Rosen’s ideas are thought-provoking, and the changes he suggests are realistic to implement. Very readable.”--Library Journal Xpress

"In iDisorder, Dr. Larry Rosen takes readers on a thought-provoking tour of how new technology is dramatically changing our lives and redefining what we consider normal versus disordered behavior."  --Gary Small, M.D., director of UCLA Center on Aging and bestselling author of The Memory Bible

"Rosen’s book, iDisorder, tells us how not to let too much of a good thing become a bad thing.  Digital technologies are machines that can enhance or harm our minds.  Rosen tells us how to keep our minds safe and sane."--James Paul Gee, Mary Lou Fulton Presidential professor of Literacy Studies, Arizona State University

“Well-researched insights into the impact of technology on our psychological well-being and mental health. Rosen continues to serve as a pioneer in the field with this groundbreaking book that provides guidance and expertise on the deeper roots of psychological problems related to technology use.” —Dr. Kimberly Young, author of Caught in the Net and Internet Addiction: A Handbook and Guide for Evaluation and Treatment

“In iDisorder, Dr. Rosen provides comprehensive coverage of many mental health issues facing our overuse of technology. This complex and challenging book provides clear and concise guidance when dealing with these issues."—Martin A. Saeman, managing editor, The National Psychologist

"iDisorder is a futurist psychologist's fascinating glimpse into the 21st century.  In this book, Rosen shows you and your loved ones how to regain control over your technology-centric lives."- Pat DeLeon, former president American Psychological Association

 

 

About the Author

Larry Rosen is past chair and professor of Psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He is a research psychologist and computer educator, and is recognized as an international expert in the "Psychology of Technology." Dr. Rosen and his colleagues have examined reactions to technology among more than 30,000 children, teens, and adults in the United States and in 23 other countries. Dr. Rosen has been a commentator on Good Morning America, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, CNN, and Lifetime Television, and has been quoted in hundreds of magazines and newspapers, including Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, Newsday, The Chronicle of Higher Education,  The New York Times, and USA Today.  He is a featured blogger for Psychology Today and has spoken to audiences around the world for the past 30 years on how technology is affecting our way of life.  He lives in San Diego, California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 1st edition (March 27, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0230117570
• ISBN-13: 978-0230117570
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.9 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #398,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a Professor of Psychology and past department chair at California State University, Dominguez Hills since 1975. I am a research psychologist with specialties in generational differences, parenting, child and adolescent development, business psychology, and neuroscience and have been recognized as an international expert in the "Psychology of Technology." Over the past 25-plus years, my colleagues and I have examined reactions to technology among over 30,000 people in the United States and in 22 other countries. I have written five books including: iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession With Technology and Overcoming its Hold on Us (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012), Rewired: Understanding the iGeneration and the Way They Learn (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), Me, MySpace and I: Parenting the Net Generation (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008), TechnoStress: Coping with Technology @Work @Home @Play (John Wiley & Sons, 1998), and The Mental Health Technology Bible (John Wiley & Sons, 1997), many articles for professional journals, a technology column for the newspaper The National Psychologist and am a featured blogger for Psychology Today.

Over the years I have been involved in a variety of consulting activities and have been able to lend my expertise by serving on (1) the national advisory board for Pearson Education (one of the largest developers of curriculum materials), (2) the Internet Safety Technical Task Force Research Advisory Board (for the Berkman Center at Harvard University), and (3) the National Effective Parenting Initiative Advisory Board. I provide workshops for educational institutions, corporations and parent groups on the impact of technology in the workplace, in our schools and in our home. I have given keynote speeches to Fortune 500 companies in the United States and to audiences in India, Italy, Germany, Spain, Hungary, and Slovakia among other countries. For my research, teaching and university service, I have been fortunate to have been honored twice as one of the Outstanding Professors in the California State University system.

I love being interviewed and have been fortunate to be featured extensively in television, print, and radio media and have been a commentator on Good Morning America, MSNBC, Fox News, and CNN. I have been quoted in hundreds of magazines and newspapers including USA Today, New York Times, Newsweek, Time, Chicago Tribune, and Los Angeles Times. I maintain an extremely active research program and his most recent investigations include: (1) generational differences in technology use and multitasking, (2) the effect of technological immersion on the feeling of presence, (3) integrating immersive technologies in education, (4) the impact of social networks on adolescents and parents, (5) the impact of the new communication styles on English literacy, (6) online dating, and (7) technology use in the business environment.

I received my B.A. in Mathematics (Summa Cum Laude) from UCLA where I was honored as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. I earned my Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California at San Diego and I now live in San Diego, California. I am a Baby Boomer and have raised four children, two Gen Xers and one Net Generation young adult, and one iGeneration teenager and have learned firsthand that the generations truly are different in their lifestyles, attitudes, and use of technology.

I am reachable at [e-mail], which I capitalize because the lowercase version looks too much like 1rosen. I am a geek and always answer my e-mail immediately (a Baby Boomer characteristic!). My website is www.DrLarryRosen.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[NOW FOR A MORE PERSONAL VIEW OF WHAT I DO]

I have been interested in the impact of technology on people since technology entered our world in the form of large, hidden mainframe computers. My first research project in this area was 1985! Since then I have published dozens of research papers on a variety of topics including technology in the workplace, the coming impact of Y2K (yep, that long ago), video games, online dating, multitasking, MySpace, parenting, writing, and a bunch more topics. Currently, in the George Marsh Applied Cognition Laboratory at California State University, Dominguez Hills, we are running 14 research projects including:

* Generational characteristics, values and beliefs among and between Baby Boomers, Generation X, Net Generation, iGeneration and Generation "C" recently named for children born in the new millennium.
* The impact of technology across generations in the workplace.
* The impact and effective use of technology on creating and maintaining healthy family systems.
* A model of how technology impacts the brain and how to take advantage of this knowledge to periodically "reset" our brains to shut down our software and hardware and improve our "humanware."
* The impact of classroom interruptions by text message on comprehension.
* The prevalence of text messaging in real-world locations such as fast food restaurants and high school and college classrooms.
* Perceptions of the "Future of the Internet" in 2020 across generations of Americans (a comparison with an identical study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project with technology experts).
* The sense of "being there" in electronic communications.
* The impact of media usage on physical health across generations of Americans.
* An examination of the feelings of "presence" in 3D movies and their applicability to education.

We are continuing to examine the world of technology, which seemingly changes daily. With the rapid advances coming into and penetrating our society we investigate how they impact people. Stay tuned for more from my lab!

[AND EVEN MORE PERSONAL]

I live in Solana Beach, California and enjoy a whole lot of things outside of my work world. I have four children ranging from 21 to 36 and I have learned much of what I know about the impact of technology from watching them grow and develop and make use of technology and media in ways unique to their generation. Thank goodness none of them still live at home although they visit often and connect through a whole lot of different technologies. My family and I make an annual gingerbread house from scratch and if you hop on my website you can see photos. I dabble in art that involves canvases with old technology and old rock 'n roll music (link to pictures are also on my website). I love musicals of any kind. I love music of "nearly" any kind. I go to a zillion movies a year (well, maybe only about 60 or so) and particularly like indie films. Been to Sundance Film Festival and the Palm Springs International Film Festival many times and each year see 10-12 movies that are mostly independent and may never reach the big screen. I love to cook (and eat) although my son (who cooked for 90 people at my 60th birthday party) is a much better cook. I read voraciously, but only murder mysteries, international intrigue and science fiction. I watch little television outside of The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, MSNBC (love Rachel), CNN, and Glee (my love of musicals). During the summer I body surf and there is no way I am ever going to get up on skis at the top of a hill. Cross-country skiing is ok but I am sure that I would break at least two bones on my first downhill attempt. I love to travel and get lots of opportunities giving talks all over the world. Have spoken all across the USA and in India and Spain recently and am already booked to speak in several other countries this coming year. All in all, I can't think of a better life!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Electronic entertainment and technology are dangerous friends. Rosen tells us how to protect ourselves March 27, 2012

By Graham H. Seibert TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

We clever humans are better and better at manipulating our environment. At the same time, we are better and better at manipulating each other and letting ourselves be manipulated.

Technology has invaded every aspect of our lives, and now that it is portable, it follows us everywhere. Rosen says there is a technology jacket available that can carry 22 different portable devices, with custom pockets for iPod earbuds and other quirky features.

He opens with illustrations about how psychologically dependent we are on our technology. Our cell phones sit on the table at dinner, and on our nightstands as we sleep. We interrupt conversations with real people all the time to tap away at our portable devices to see what's going on.

Rosen goes into a long riff on the narcissistic personality disorder. He is a psychologist, and reads from the standard psychological textbooks and uses the updated Freudian categorizations that are within the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. He does not, however, adhere religiously to the DSM and proposes his own category, which he calls according to his title iDisorder. It would not be a clinical condition, affecting a continuum of normal to narcissistic people. It can, however, be debilitating. The purpose of this book is to tell us how to minimize the harmful effects of all this technology in our lives without forgoing the benefits. He recognizes, in other words, that one cannot fully live a modern life without the technology.

He has chosen Facebook for special attention. It caters to narcissists. He asks you to consider the care with which you prepare and post photographs, how frequently you post, how often your posts use pronouns in the first person....

He remarks on the reasons why it is easier to get into online catfights behind the anonymity of the computer screen than in person, and the deleterious nature of the fights that ensue. This is nothing new; it is an update of the flame wars as they were known when blogging got started, of what they call "dissing" down in the `hood, and what we used to call cut-low wars in high school back in the 1950s. Narcissists are both more prone to go on the attack and to feel wounded by online attacks or counterattacks. One has only to follow the comments on any Amazon book review to watch this phenomenon in action.

Rosen provides, very conveniently, a neurotic personality inventory (NPI) so you can determine whether you yourself or somebody you know appears over the top as far as narcissism goes. He offers some useful, common sense advice about how to back off if you find yourself trapped in constant cyber battles with people who emerge to taunt you. Or worse, you feel you are tempted taunt them. Cool down, wait a while, count the use of the pronoun I, and recognize that it is a human being on the other end of the conversation.

Though most of his focus is on Facebook, he remarks that Twitter is absolutely the most egocentric medium, 140 characters of almost invariably self-centered mediocrity.

Emotional contagion is a new term to me, one which makes a lot of sense. We are social animals, and we respond to other people's expressed emotions. This is healthy when we cry in movies or at the end of a romance novel when the guy gets the girl. It is unhealthy when people are overexposed to rap or heavy metal music, movies or video games in which there is a lot of violence and other depressing material. Rosen cites many studies that show a high correlation between measurable depression and involvement in all sorts of electronic activity, including video games and music, but also Facebook.

We all let ourselves be more affected by the negative than the positive. In other words, the single cruel remark by somebody we don't even know about a photo we post on Facebook outweighs the good many positive comments from friends and likes. Considering how the anonymity of the Internet emboldens people to be cruel, being active on Facebook we really set ourselves up to be cut down. Perversely, the people who are most likely to feel the pain are those who are most likely to have been drawn to Facebook in the first place. These are people who do not have enough going on in their flesh and blood lives to give them the positive human feedback that they want.

Rosen includes a short mental-health questionnaire - nine questions - to measure whether or not you are depressed, and he has a lot of good advice what to do about it.

Rosen takes on one of the fond myths of our age. Authors such as James McGee find some benefit in video games. They make certain facets of our brain work better. Earl Hunt, writing in "Human Intelligence," says that such activity may increase measured intelligence. Rosen doesn't contradict him, but he does cite several studies that show correlations between video game usage and depression and poor physical health. The time a kid devotes to video games, which is often prodigious, is not available for learning, exercise, or normal socializing.

He also tackles the myth that your kids love to tell you, that they can multitask without any problem. You know instinctively it is a lie, and he comes up with the science and the statistics. As Daniel Kahneman describes in "Thinking Fast and Slow" the brain is only able to chew on one intellectually demanding task any time. What looks like multi-tasking is really only task switching, and there is a lot of inefficiency in going back and forth. It involves disengaging and re-engaging. Some activities such as video gaming and reading are inherently difficult to multitask. Other true background activities such as eating and listening to music are easier, but still cost a bit. The bottom line is that people are much better when they attempt to one thing well then many things in a disordered jumble.

Rosen offers a theory I had not read elsewhere that ADHD, which has grown so rapidly over the past few decades, is largely a self-induced condition. Our technology forces us to behave as if we had ADHD, and lo and behold, the condition may be induced in people who are driven to behave frenetically because of their technology. The human animal evolves slowly. Genetic evolution takes place between human generations, and that that, at an extremely measured pace. Our electronics, conversely, have generation lengths measured in years and even months. There is absolutely no way we can be biologically equipped for the changes we are subjecting ourselves to. When it comes to ADHD, the lesson would be, simply back off and be content to be the animals which nature had us evolve to be. The good news is the plasticity of our brains. We can adapt; it is a question of choosing optimal adaptations.

Rosen relates technology to other problems which have become much more widespread over the last few decades:
* Internet induced hypochondria, in which people immerse themselves in Internet content and convince themselves that they are suffering from every illness described. This is certainly fed by prescription drug advertising on television.
* Social disorders and failure to successfully enter society. People who have a difficult time interacting with others now have a place to escape - the Internet - where they did not have to deal face to face with other people. They can do much of their school work there, and they can make a living online. Rosen doesn't say so, but this goes hand-in-hand with the diminution of traditional socializing mechanisms. Schools no longer teach social dancing, support glee clubs, encourage debate clubs, or do so many of the traditional activities that allowed young people to interact in a structured environment. Parents no longer provide the models of courtesy and politeness that they did 50 years ago. It is not surprising that the millennial generation is not as well socialized as their parents or grandparents.
* Voyeurism, sexting and pornography. I had not heard about the second before - that's what they call Anthony Wiener's crime. It fits in a pattern. These distractions keep children from developing into full functioning adults, or allow adults to retreat into a not very healthy and private world.
* Narcissism. Rosen cites studies confirming a significant increase in narcissism among young people, and a corresponding lack of empathy. These are, of course, correlated with the massive exposure that children get to all sorts of body beautiful propaganda, and their removal via electronic media from the immediacy of face-to-face interaction and the concommitment immediate and personal feedback that should rebuff antisocial behavior. Children can affect antisocial without overly grave consequences, and they learned to do so. The most obvious case in point is swearing. Kids swear with impunity over Facebook, and now to their parents' faces. It is a tide that parents, for lack of unity and lack of certainty in themselves, have been powerless to stop.
* Body fetishism, including anorexia, bulimia, screwy diets, radical exercise programs, surgery and all sorts of nonsense to correct illusory or minimal flaws. The media has so captured our minds that we do not have the confidence to confront the world as who we are, but rather we allow ourselves to be manipulated into changing our very essence. That which we do not change, we often grossly misrepresent over the Internet, as if our cyberpersonality were the real thing and the flesh and blood merely the author of a puppet theater.
*
Rosen refers several times to his previous book, "Me, MySpace and I: Parenting the Net Generation." I hope it goes into the most essential argument. The very survival of any society depends on its ability to reproduce itself. Biologically, this means having kids. Culturally, it means inculcating in those children the same culture that their parents had. I might add, the culture that made their parents'ancestors successful enough that that generation might be born. We are failing mightily on both counts. People are not having children. We are so self obsessed that we do not commit ourselves to loving relationships. If we do happen to get into a relationship, as often as not children are an accidental afterthought. When we do have children, we as often as not give their moral instruction over to uncaring government schools. Although we stuff their young brains full of sex education, nobody prepares our children for marriage and parenthood. And certainly nobody feels that our culture is something to be passed on. Its defining aspects, a belief in Christianity and in America's uniqueness, are in such widespread disrepute that it takes a brave person to say a word in their defense, especially in a public school or university. But if not those, what elements of culture do most of us have to pass on? In practice we have none, and all of the pernicious things which Rosen so well documents have rushed in to fill the void. Read more ›

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I've read in a while March 28, 2012

By M. L Lamendola TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This is the best book I've read in a while. When I say "best," I mean in terms of its execution rather than by some subjective measure such as whether I "liked" it or how I feel about the subject. Rosen takes on an increasingly important subject and clearly communicates the issues involved. He puts those issues into a context that allows the reader to make sense of them and see the implications. Rosen also provides some guidance for readers in stepping back from the precipice. This last part was an unexpected bonus; I had expected merely an analysis of the problem.

Many authors tackle subjects that are important, timely, interesting, or some combination thereof. Typically, the work doesn't deliver on the promise of its title, its subtitle, the potential of the subject, or some combination thereof. And typically, the work needs copy-editing. Rosen's work didn't suffer from these problems.

So that's my commentary on the quality of the work. What about its substance? What is Rosen talking about, and why should you care?

First, it may help frame the discussion with a comment on my own phone usage. A few years back, I made the decision to stop carrying a cell phone with me. It dawned on me that if I'm out doing something (especially driving a car), then answering the phone simply diminishes what I'm doing. I also made the decision not to answer the phone just because it rings.

It simply is not true that I am of so little value and my activities have so little meaning that I should go through the whole stop/restart cycle just because someone else decides to use a synchronous communication method without seeking permission in advance. My e-mail system isn't set up to let me know when there's new e-mail, either. I find that out when I decide to check e-mail.... And that is only when I'm between tasks. Texting? I do not do it. Period.

This is a bit of insight into my whole approach to media. I stopped watching television in 1990. I don't do "news," which is IMO mind pollution (look at the content of what passes for news). I don't do Facebook or other (anti)social media. The reason is mainly because life is too short to consume it with activities that essentially make me a zombie.

Now with this framework established, let's look at why Rosen's work is important. Very few people take my approach to media. And that's OK; most people manage media and don't need to shut it off. But "most" is increasingly changing to "few" and it will soon be normal to let media control you instead of the other way around. For millions of people already, that's the situation. It means giving up what makes you human. And that's a terrible loss.

It's not the technology that's the problem. It's how people increasingly misallocate time to using it that's the problem. The extent of the misallocation crosses the threshold into presenting the symptoms of mental disorders as defined by the mental health standards. The main standard Rosen refers to is the merican Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (the DSM).

As this misallocation spreads, so does the disorder problem. And it's becoming the new normal. That is the reason you should care about this book. You may not be able to save others (but then again, you may save those closest to you), but you can save yourself by understanding the causes and adjusting for them.

So, what is Rosen talking about? Let's go back about a decade, when the term "Crackberry" first came into vogue. That term came about because of the way Blackberry users were so addicted to their devices. This addiction, like an addiction to crack, also had severe implications for the mental acuity of the addicted. With the advent of smart phone texting, this same set of problems began to appear in users of other devices. Desktop users are not immune, either. Computer usage behaviors classified as obsessive, compulsive, or addictive were once limited mainly to gamers. The rest of us used computers to accomplish tasks. But along came social media and other interactive uses that can easily feed an addiction.

Today, the iDisorder problem is no longer limited to a few groups such as Crackberry users and gamers. It's gone mainstream and is especially pernicious among youth. Those are tomorrow's leaders, thinkers (maybe), and doers (maybe). The majority of them are exhibit symptoms of mental illness (more about that in a moment), and many have full-blown conditions that wreak havoc in their lives.

The addiction to digital produces certain behaviors. Rosen compares the behaviors to those described in the DSM for particular disorders. The first disorder he looks at is narcissism. This disorder gets disproportionate coverage, to the extent that his coverage initially gives the impression that this is the only disorder related to the media addiction. It should be noted that there's a big difference between the layman's use of "narcissist" and the clinical usage. It doesn't mean the person is merely vain; there's far more going on in the clinical view that Rosen uses.

As he goes through his discussion of how the symptoms are presented and what this means, he also offers help in determining if you exhibit these symptoms. For example, he provides the neurotic personality inventory (NPI) for that purpose. Of course, one problem with self-diagnosing these conditions is denial typically contributes to their emergence. So a self-test that comes out negative (for the condition) isn't conclusive. I would suggest asking a friend to grade you, on the condition that you won't argue with the results.

While Rosen and his contributors are mostly objective, they do insert an opinion I disagree with. Where the book covers the problem of people who obsess over their physical condition, Rosen seems to indicate that people should consider this unimportant. That's taking things to the other extreme. Making your physical fitness a priority that receives ongoing attention (every meal can move you forward or backwards) is not a sign of a disorder. It's a sign of sanity.

As I write this, there's a big hooplah over the Supreme Court's decision on Obamacare (which has a medical services payment focus). An actual health care plan would focus on health care, something very different from medical care. The vast majority of the illnesses the medical system treats would have been prevented with actual health care, thus slashing demand dramatically. People make poor choices; look at the cereal aisle in the grocery store for evidence of that (most of what's sold contains HFC and other toxins). In a book that covers media addiction so well, this point is relatively insignificant. Still, it seemed worth raising.

iDisorder provides a badly needed analysis of what's going horribly wrong with our society today. It doesn't present any "government solutions" (typically an oxymoron) or a grand plan that would instantly solve the problem if we would just execute it. The truth is there isn't a simple solution. Individuals need to learn how to manage the way they interact with technology, and they need to be continually vigilant about it. There will always be people who suffer because they can't do this.

But long before smart phones came along, we had couch potatoes, newspaper addicts, television addicts, and music addicts. When I was a teen, a youth minister asked everyone to go on an "electronic fast." I thought he was nuts. And this was in the days of the 8-track tape. He was, however, a voice of sanity. His advice has occurred to me many times over the years and has caused me to look at my behavior in relation to media. Regardless of the technology involved.

Today, as Rosen points out, the temptations are stronger than they have ever been. The sounds and colors and other "flames" we moths detect can lure us in very easily.

My neighbors have pre-teen daughters who are demanding cell phones and their own computers in their bedrooms. The answer has always been no. This kind of parenting is what's needed to break the addiction. Kids may say "Everyone else...." but the reality is it's not everyone else putting their brains into a freefall. It's only those kids whose parents are unaware of the damage being done. The solution is exactly this kind of book being circulated among parents. It occurred to me that if every school district budgeted for purchase of this book for each child's parent(s) and the parents had to pass a quiz on it before the child could move on to the next grade, public education would be far more effective. The effectiveness would jump because the teachers would no longer be competing for their students' attention.

What about adults? We spend big bucks getting an education. Why throw that away with a media addiction? Rosen didn't go into the IQ studies, but there have been several. I've seen numbers along the lines of a 20 point IQ drop. My personal experience tells me this is an average; quite often the IQ drops to zero. Having the mental acuity of a carrot isn't conducive to a successful career, especially if that condition manifests at a critical time.

As a martial artist and a climber, I value focus. Walk into any martial arts school, and you'll notice nobody is multitasking during training. Ever wonder why? Similarly, if you pull out a cell phone while climbing that could literally be your downfall. Do this while belaying, and you'll have a tough time finding anyone willing to go climbing with you ever again. It's not that these extreme sports are the only activities that require a person to be fully present. Any social activity does, also. As does anything that you want to do well, rather than do poorly.

Unfortunately, the typical multitasker is in denial about his/her poor performance (testing has repeatedly shown that multitasking reduces performance quality). If you've had job problems and can't understand why, it's probably because you've been trying to do it all instead of asking your boss to choose what needs to be done so that you can do it well. Have a friend or coworker read this book, and then have a few frank discussions about it. With your gadgets turned off, of course.

This book consists of 12 chapters and runs 212 pages. The bibliography/notes section, in fine print, runs 21 pages. It's worth noting that Rosen and his contributors drew on primary and secondary sources, all of which appear to be highly authoritative. What you read here is an expertly researched scholarly work with comments and insight from an author who is a subject matter expert.

Amazingly enough, this work, which "should" be dense and difficult to read, is not. It's highly accessible and extremely interesting. Of course, its real value lies in the fact it could be life-changing for many readers. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it December 9, 2012

By I. Betts

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Very good book, researched base, easy to read, very entertaining. I love it, I think its a topic people need to be educated and know about it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Electronic Media - Bane or Blessing? May 8, 2012

By Lynn

Format:Hardcover

Larry Rosen (Rewired: Understanding the iGeneration and the Way they Learn; Me, MySpace, and I: Parenting in the Net Generation) has just published his latest book, iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us. Rosen is Professor of Psychology at California State University. In iDisorder he once again shares his research and insights about media in terms we can all understand. He covers disorders thought to be linked to the use of electronic media hence iDisorder) including addiction to technology, delusions, compulsive behavior, ADD others. Rosen's arguments concerning multitasking make sense to me, but others would contest his research findings and opinions. In each chapter he gives suggestions which may help those increasingly dependent upon electronic media. This is worth while reading for anyone interested in social media or concerned for the affects of electronics on our minds and lives.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Tech addictions are real May 5, 2012

By Tina

Format:Hardcover

We have the ability to be connected all day, every day, no matter where we are. In iDisorder, Larry Rosen talks about the increasing number of devices we own and how they relate to common disorders, especially in teens. We've become so dependent on them and the information they push out, that we often miss what's in front of us. Using extensive research, especially in psychology, he shows how use of technology has become unhealthy for many people and offers strategies for finding balance.

Rosen offers some interesting stories of people who are completely obsessed with technology. He also shows how a tech addiction is as harmful as other addictions. Like alcohol and drug addicts, a tech addict may have financial, job, and relational problems. People become so absorbed in their device, they neglect these other areas of their lives. There are practical tips woven throughout the book, such as setting alarms to allow only a certain amount of time online and intentionally scheduling non-internet activities.

The book was much more clinical than I expected, which makes it a good resource for people new to the counseling field. Throughout the book, there are practical ways to help - which people can apply to themselves or for people around them who have an addiction.

As much as people joke about "crackberries" and sleeping with their phones, iDisorders are very real and have the potential to being very damaging. This book takes the issue seriously and presents research supported information.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from FSB Associates in exchange for an honest review.