Many of us know an anti-vaxxer or a selfie-obsessed
narcissist who clutters our social feeds; an online
conspiracy theorist or a child whose face is buried in a
smartphone. Some of us even live with one. How do we
pull these people back from the brink of a digital abyss?
In this compelling account, researcher Jordan Guiao
reveals what happens when we fall down the rabbit hole of
online addiction and radicalisation. He profiles COVID-19
‘freedom fighters’, QAnon conspiracists, social media
egoists, online gamers and men’s rights activists, tracing
their path into obsession and how they found their way
back. Drawing on psychology, neuroscience and the latest
research on addiction, he prompts us to ask: how can we
use the tools that connect us to stop isolating us? And
what should our governments do to protect us?
In an age of online outrage and social media schisms,
where Big Tech tracks our every click, it is time for a
conversation about how to use the internet safely and for
social good. Let’s stop the disconnect and create an online
world we can all be proud of.