Kaitlyn Regehr

When was the last time you really stayed away from your phone? Or picked it up just to do the one task you intended, and didn’t fall into scrolling through your apps for hours?

There is little doubt that we are addicted to our smartphones, but interacting with the online world is an essential component of modern life, so it’s difficult to work out how to step away and find a balance.

In this offline session Dr Kaitlyn Regehr discusses her book Smartphone Nation, in which she shows how to keep the advantages and joy of the internet while also identifying the often-hidden dangers, and gives tips on how to step away when we’re being over-reliant on our devices.

Covering subjects spanning misogyny, pornography, body image, advertising and violence, Smartphone Nation helps readers to think critically about the content we are consuming, and how it is ‘fed’ to us.

Regehr is an associate professor at University College London, lecturing on digital literacy and the ethical implications of social media and AI. As well as appearing regularly in the media as an expert on this subject, she has provided consultation in the House of Lords, to Members of Parliament, and to the Metropolitan Police.