Unwired

Summary of Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies by Gaia Bernstein (published 2023):

In Unwired, law professor Gaia Bernstein argues that our struggles with pervasive screen time—and particularly the addictive design of smartphones, apps, and social media—are not failures of personal will or parenting, but consequences of corporate engines built purposely to monopolize our attention. Rejecting self‑control or parental control as sufficient solutions, she draws on history—comparing Big Tech to Big Tobacco and junk‑food industries—to argue that meaningful progress requires legal and regulatory strategies, including class‑action litigation, warning labels, and product redesigns. Bernstein outlines a growing social movement already advancing these reforms in courts and legislatures, offering practical pathways for collective action to reclaim autonomy and protect both mental health and public welfare.