Have you ever looked at your email, then texts, then Facebook, then Twitter, then email, then Instagram, then back to texts, then Snapchat, then email again, and now you've spent countless hours staring at your phone?
In #DoNotDisturb: How I Ghosted My Cell Phone to Take Back My Life (Harper; on sale October 9th; Hardcover $26.99), television host and commentator Jedediah Bila shares intimate stories chronicling the ups and downs of her tumultuous journey through our tech-polluted world. The story of how she reclaimed a real life in these virtual times by stepping back from the whirlwind of texting, social media, and an endless sea of apps is sure to resonate with readers everywhere.
A few years ago, Bila found herself in the grip of Obsessive Compulsive Tech Disorder, a diagnosis she may have made up, but one that we've all felt. From being completely panic-stricken when she left her phone in a taxi, to missing real-life moments on Ferris wheels and boardwalks, to an ex-boyfriend who was living a completely separate dark life in his cell phone, Bila realized her dependency on technology was out of control. The addiction was happening all around her, and what it was doing to people wasn't good. She set out to explore why it was happening and how to regain control of the ballooning tech in our lives.
In this timely, entertaining, and inspiring book, Bila questions how our relationships, character, and sanity have suffered from our deep dive into the digital abyss. Exploring the toll that tech addiction took on her life, Bila shares her missteps and mistakes and reveals how she managed to navigate away from an unhealthy, overactive relationship with technology to let her unplugged, real-life moments take charge. Through her trademark no-nonsense and accountability-centered approach, #DoNotDisturb shows even the most tech-dependent among us how to put down the device and focus on the life right in front of us.