Scan barcode
cstefko's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars
I found a lot of the self-reflection prompts to be helpful and will definitely be consulting my newly-generated list of offline activities next time I feel the telltale "disconnected" symptom of being terminally online. However, in the book's second half, Gannon repeatedly contradicts herself. How can she be cognizant of how harmful the influencer industrial complex is and yet praise the idea of "life coaches" and consultants at the same time... it feels like a massive contradiction to her concept of authenticity. But since she is a person who makes a living off the internet economy, essentially, that's not necessarily surprising. She is also bizarrely pro-cop. Like, jarringly so. This might be the first time I've ever seen someone praise the NextDoor app with a straight face, and she goes so far as to suggest people should use it to "solve local crimes" (not a direct quote because I'm too lazy to look it up, but a faithful paraphrase). Wtf! I was also confused by her weird insistence that people should always be open to political conversations with other people with whom they have fundamental disagreements. Sorry, but no. Gannon pays lip service to the need to protect marginalized people in online spaces, but it didn't feel very genuine by the end of the book as a result of everything else she said regarding what qualifies as healthy discourse. She also seems very confused about what "cancellation" actually entails or who it happens to in practice. It certainly doesn't tend to stick for the people who actually deserve it.
So yeah, she had me for the first half of the book and by the end of the second half I was thinking "is she... a Tory?" At the very least, she seems very paranoid.
I found a lot of the self-reflection prompts to be helpful and will definitely be consulting my newly-generated list of offline activities next time I feel the telltale "disconnected" symptom of being terminally online. However, in the book's second half, Gannon repeatedly contradicts herself. How can she be cognizant of how harmful the influencer industrial complex is and yet praise the idea of "life coaches" and consultants at the same time... it feels like a massive contradiction to her concept of authenticity. But since she is a person who makes a living off the internet economy, essentially, that's not necessarily surprising. She is also bizarrely pro-cop. Like, jarringly so. This might be the first time I've ever seen someone praise the NextDoor app with a straight face, and she goes so far as to suggest people should use it to "solve local crimes" (not a direct quote because I'm too lazy to look it up, but a faithful paraphrase). Wtf! I was also confused by her weird insistence that people should always be open to political conversations with other people with whom they have fundamental disagreements. Sorry, but no. Gannon pays lip service to the need to protect marginalized people in online spaces, but it didn't feel very genuine by the end of the book as a result of everything else she said regarding what qualifies as healthy discourse. She also seems very confused about what "cancellation" actually entails or who it happens to in practice. It certainly doesn't tend to stick for the people who actually deserve it.
So yeah, she had me for the first half of the book and by the end of the second half I was thinking "is she... a Tory?" At the very least, she seems very paranoid.
naomi_marshall_murray's review
3.0
Emma Gannon’s Dis-connected brings a re-awakening to the concept of an offline world after the Pandemic lockdowns have ceased. After being forced almost entirely online during the pandemic, Gannon’s latest release prompts us to consider taking time for ourselves, re-connecting with friends and family, and setting boundaries for our e-self.
A thought provoking, quick read about the social media we use and how we have moved from less social and more consumption media.
This book has great points on ending Cancel culture; how about we use a semicolon and not a full stop? As simple as it seems being told to open dialogue instead of shutting others off - it’s an imperative piece of this book and a very important statement.
Have we became too used to an urgency in communication that has also resulted in an urgency to stop communicating?
I enjoyed the quick prompts and lists used within this book - I feel it helped break up text and made it more easily consumed - the prompts also allowed for moments of self reflection, which I intend to use in a journal going forward.
Thank you, Andrews McMeel Publishing & NetGalley for the Advanced E-copy of this book.
A thought provoking, quick read about the social media we use and how we have moved from less social and more consumption media.
This book has great points on ending Cancel culture; how about we use a semicolon and not a full stop? As simple as it seems being told to open dialogue instead of shutting others off - it’s an imperative piece of this book and a very important statement.
Have we became too used to an urgency in communication that has also resulted in an urgency to stop communicating?
I enjoyed the quick prompts and lists used within this book - I feel it helped break up text and made it more easily consumed - the prompts also allowed for moments of self reflection, which I intend to use in a journal going forward.
Thank you, Andrews McMeel Publishing & NetGalley for the Advanced E-copy of this book.
heidirgreen's review against another edition
4.0
Emma Gannon’s non-fiction always makes me do Big Thinks. Some of what she’s saying feels obvious, but I think that’s in part due to her straight-forward, simple and clear writing style (which I love). She takes those seemingly obvious thoughts a step further, makes me think further, which often causes me to make actual changes in my life. This book is no different.
rusereviews's review against another edition
4.0
Disconnected: How to Stay Human in an Online World is a self-help book by Emma Gannon. The ebook version is 128 pages. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at three hours and is narrated by the author.
This book is a quick read about how we as humans have become more dependent on the internet--especially during the pandemic--while also reducing physical contact. Gannon does a deep dive into the manipulation of algorithms, our data as salable products, and where we might be able to go from here. At the ends of chapters, she provides easy-to-follow "quick prompts" to help remind yourself who you really are outside of the always-connected internet.
I was nodding in agreement a lot while listening to this book. I felt very seen by this book, partly because I am also an "elder millennial" like the author. In general, I really liked her prose! I think I'll have to check out her podcast, Ctrl Alt Delete.
Special thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing an audio galley of this book for me to review. All opinions contained herein are my own. The audiobook version of Disconnected: How to Stay Human in an Online World releases on May 31st, 2022.
This book is a quick read about how we as humans have become more dependent on the internet--especially during the pandemic--while also reducing physical contact. Gannon does a deep dive into the manipulation of algorithms, our data as salable products, and where we might be able to go from here. At the ends of chapters, she provides easy-to-follow "quick prompts" to help remind yourself who you really are outside of the always-connected internet.
I was nodding in agreement a lot while listening to this book. I felt very seen by this book, partly because I am also an "elder millennial" like the author. In general, I really liked her prose! I think I'll have to check out her podcast, Ctrl Alt Delete.
Special thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing an audio galley of this book for me to review. All opinions contained herein are my own. The audiobook version of Disconnected: How to Stay Human in an Online World releases on May 31st, 2022.