Unlocked

The Real Science of Screen Time (and how to spend it better)

By: Pete Etchells

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Paperback | 2 September 2025 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
304 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
19.7 x 12.7 x 2.3

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'A welcome counterpoint to the technopanic that screen time is causing a mental health crisis' Bruce Hood

'A rare mix of trustworthy science, practical advice, and human stories ... I'm going to recommend it to all the parents I know, and keep it handy for reference next time I see a scary headline about how technology is ruining our lives' Timandra Harkness

'Punctures some of the most pernicious myths about our smartphone and screen-dominated lives, while offering good advice about how to improve the time we spend with screens ... a must-read' New Scientist

Most of us spend a significant part of the day in front of a screen. Our work and social lives play out through our computers, tablets and phones: on email, social media, video conference calls and gaming servers. But what is all this screen time doing to our health, our sleep, and our relationships?

Professor Pete Etchells studies the way we use screens, and how they can affect us. In UNLOCKED, he delves into the real science behind the panic about our alleged device addiction and withering attention spans. Armed with the latest research, he reveals how little we have to fear, and the great deal we have to gain, by establishing a more positive relationship with our screens. That begins with asking ourselves some essential questions about how we use them.

Instead of clamouring for us to ditch our devices (before guiltily returning to the same old habits), UNLOCKED is a sustainable, realistic and vital guide to transforming our connection with technology.

About the Author

Pete Etchells is a psychologist and science writer. He is a professor of psychology and science communication at Bath Spa University, where he studies the behavioural effects of playing video games. He is the author of LOST IN A GOOD GAME: WHY WE PLAY GAMES AND WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR US. He writes for BBC Science Focus magazine, and for four years he was the science blog network coordinator for the Guardian, where he wrote the psychology blog Head Quarters. He has previously written for the Observer, Telegraph, WIRED, Discover magazine's science blog, the Nature Network, the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, and Scientific American's blog network, and he's been a science consultant for BBC's Horizon.

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