This is a summary of the book titled “Your Stone Age Brain in the Screen Age: Coping with digital distraction and sensory overload” written by Richard Cytowic and published by MIT Press in 2024. The author is a neurologist who explains how screens are grabbing your attention and how we can regain them. His book talks about the impact of continuous alerts, notifications and stimulations on the human brain and why reclaiming your attention and engaging with real-world is not only pertinent and significant but also a necessity. Excessive screen time is reducing brain development in children, resulting in reduced impulse control even leading to psychological harm. We are hardwired with sensory perceptions which makes it difficult to peel away our eyes from the flickering screen. Cellphone and tablet usage has given rise to increased body dysmorphia and virtual autism. Depriving children of sufficient human contact can inhibit the development of empathy. Screen addictions can put you on a “hedonic treadmill”. Protect your sleep and make space for silence and connection to fight against digital toxicity.

Excessive screen time is causing brain damage in children, resulting in reduced impulse control and reduced attention span. Addiction, originating from the Latin word "addictum," refers to the time spent serving a master. Many people don't see excessive screen time as a problem, but this blindness is due to tech giants exploiting human psychology to keep people glued to their screens. Social media addiction can be fatal and trigger severe psychological harm, with injuries caused by inattentive cellphone usage resulting in 76,000 emergency room visits in the past two decades. The human brain's two hemispheres support different skill sets and distinct conceptualizations of identity, making it difficult to stop giving attention to screens. The internal battle for control between the two hemispheres is a result of the way the brain's two hemispheres interact, making it difficult to stop giving attention to screens.

The brain's sensitivity to change, which helped early humans survive, has led to the rise of digital distractions and increased body dysmorphia. The brain's orienting reflex allows it to misperceive digital sound and visual interruptions as having life-or-death significance. This has led to the development of new mental health conditions, such as Snapchat dysmorphia, a new type of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), where individuals become distressed when their real-life face doesn't look like their edited digital one. Children with virtual autism show dramatic improvements once digital screens are removed. Heavy screen time can also result in the development of autism-like behaviors in younger children, as they can't learn to make eye contact or display context-appropriate facial expressions. Child psychiatrist Victoria Dunckley identifies digital devices as the primary source of issues in children without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parents can limit their child's development of virtual autism by organizing in-person play dates and limiting screen time for children 12 years old and younger.

Attachment theory, based on research by Harry Harlow, suggests that depriving children of human contact can inhibit the development of empathy. Harlow's experiments showed that chimpanzees raised without warmth and comfort were unable to comfort themselves, leading to a "pit of despair" and a lack of relational understanding. The iPhone generation may face similar fate to those raised without warmth, as they may escape into digital worlds at the expense of developing empathy and healthy attention spans. Smartphone addictions can trap individuals on a "hedonic treadmill," chasing fleeting moments of happiness and lacking genuine inner contentment. The perpetual unpredictability of digital rewards makes them never less exciting, leading to a constant state of craving. The brain treats the cues for the addiction as more salient than the reward itself, trapping individuals in a constant state of craving. As children escape into digital worlds, they may do so at the expense of developing empathy and healthy attention spans, as empathy requires the ability to focus on another person long enough to understand a different perspective.

To protect your sleep from blue screen light, follow these self-care and sleep hygiene practices:

1. Establish consistent bedtime and wake-up times, block out light sources, and choose a restorative sleep posture.

2. Keep your bedroom temperature between 65°F and 68°F, using a cooling gel pillow or mattress pad.

3. Keep the bathroom lights low, using low-wattage LED nightlights and candles.

4. Consider taking a walk outdoors before bed, limit digital device use, and get natural light.

5. Rethink digital habits, making room for silence and connection.

6. Engage in niksen, the art of doing nothing and putting life on pause for a few minutes.

7. Switch to paper media, writing by hand, and avoiding streaming while eating.

By following these practices, you can improve your sleep and reduce the risk of health consequences such as rapid cellular aging.