Book Review: Generation Zombie by Dr Charlotte Armitage

I’ve done lots of reading around the subject of kids and smart phones and screens over the last two years and got a lot out of reading ‘Generation Zombie’ by Dr Charlotte Armitage which came out a few months ago. I follow her on Instagram and found the content she shares to be super useful for parents in the UK. Obviously, the book would be helpful for parents in other countries but I liked that she rooted a lot of her guidance around experiences and scenarios set in the UK.

The book has lots of well laid out discussion and data about how and why devices are harming our children. It covers from early years (toddlers and the epidemic of devices as ‘digital dummies’) through to teen years. Also it gives tips to help you manage your own screen time. I think we can be honest and agree that most adults need to reflect on our own phone use not just our children’s so I found this element of the book helpful. She also gives simple advice on developing a device management plan for your family.

I have given it as a gift to a few friends and feel like it is a good book for parents as we find our way through raising kids in such a device focused time in history.