Behind the Screens

Behind the Screens by Niraj Lal (UQP), RRP $19.99, Middle Grade Fiction ISBN 9-780702-268946

Reviewed by Susan Hancy

If you already knew that too much screen time, social media, online gaming, etc., etc. are bad for kids, then READ THIS BOOK – Behind the Screens – and you’ll find out that it’s all WAY WORSE than you already thought!

‘Such as?’ you might ask. For example, the average Australian checks their phone 85 times per day and spends a shocking 17 years glued to a screen connected to the internet over their lifetime! And it’s not just my kid who aspires to be a YouTuber; that and ‘gamer’ are topping the ‘what-do-you-want-to-be-when-you-grow-up?’ lists around the world. 

Hang on – this is meant to be a review of a children’s book, and here I am making comments from an adult reader’s perspective. Why? Why limit the revelations in this book to just its middle-grade target audience? From Chapter 1, I was thinking that everyone in the world who is old enough to use the internet would benefit from reading Behind the Screens themselves or reading sections aloud to the kids in their lives. The topics covered in the first few chapters are equally as eye-opening for adults and teens as they are for primary school-aged kids.

Behind the Screens is written by Dr Niraj Lal, an academic whose passion for making science work in society’s interests shines through in this book. Coupled with fun, engaging illustrations by Aśka, a visual literacy advocate, their collaboration has produced the ideal go-to handbook for navigating the good and bad of the World Wide Web. It acknowledges the benefits and advancements that global online communities and information sharing bring to our everyday lives. It lifts the covers on how the social media giants, with their well-crafted mission statements, exploit our psychological weaknesses for their monetary gain. [e.g. TikTok’s mission is “to inspire creativity and bring joy”.] And it shares tips and tools to help set boundaries and keep kids safe online. 

In conclusion? I’m still getting my head around the fact that there’s actually lingo for good ol’ fashioned catching up with friends and family – meeting in “meatspace” means you’re meeting IRL (in real life) – and I’m reminiscing about bygone days when my son wanted to grow up to be a policeman.