How many times do you check something on the internet but find you are drifting aimlessly from one link to another? If you cant not answer the phone when it rings, and you spend hours a week on social media, and you read your texts instead of kissing your loved one goodnight, and you dont give your kids proper attention because you just have to prioritize new responses to your tweet... then this book is for you.The digital world is spreading like an inferno - a swirling, hot storm of change, possibility, addiction, passion, manipulation, creativity and abuse. It demands our attention and encourages us to be always on, with its constant updates and feedback. It is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. And its developing faster than our ability to deal with it.To adherents of digital living and working, any criticism is uncool, a sign of being out of touch. Refreshingly, Digital Inferno is neither simple indictment nor unqualified endorsement. Rather, its about holding your own in the digital realm, adapting in a healthy way to the new reality. It offers a conscious path that allows you to derive the benefits you need but also to manage the dangers. Packed with a wealth of practical advice, Digital Inferno describes numerous methods to enable you to step back from constant digital activity and virtual living, and to pay more attention to the real world. Youll find exercises to overcome tiredness from digital contact and to develop skills to enable you to remain awake and aware. Crucially, you will be master of the digital realm: to abstain from contact when you need to, but also freely to immerse yourself when you choose to.We dont need to shun new technology, but we do need to be armed with an understanding of its challenges, problems and limitations. This book provides the tools you will need to meet the future consciously.
Tom Bourner, Emeritus Professor of Personal and Professional Development, University of Brighton; coauthor of Workshops that Work
An exciting book, full of hope for the future. By applying the concept of mindfulness to digital interactions, Paul Levy shows how we can get the most out of technology without losing touch with our essential humanity. Great stuffthoughtful, insightful, and very timely.a Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood
An insightful guide for those seeking to consciously navigate the noise and confusion of the digital age.a Daniel T. Jones, author of The Machine that Changed the World; founder of the Lean Enterprise Academy
A fascinating and thought-provoking survey of our digital times.a Cliff McNish, author of The Doomspell Trilogy
Our generation is gradually noticing the subtle effects of digital media in our lives. There are no clear answers as the effects are generative and emergent but it is useful to be mindful of the path we are creating. Paul Levys book is an eye opener. It is written with precision and full of insights on this ongoing interplay between people and technology. It is a great book for anyone keen to regain control of their relationship with gadgets and digital media in general.a Professor John Baptista, Associate Professor of Information Systems, University of Warwick
A fascinating, moving and practical dance of content exploring what awfully is and what awe fully might be as human civilization embraces digital virtuality. Brilliantly conceived and written.a Angus Jenkinson, author of From Stress to Serenity, Chief Organizing Officer of the Civil Society Forum
