This basic presentation of key issues offers some ideas for mitigating a widespread problem.
What problems stem from data overload, and how can teens tackle it?
For unwary victims of an information glut, Nardo shows that, whether it’s informative, connective, or exploitative; pictorial, textual, or aural, data floods us and competes for our limited attention and memory storage. Our judgment suffers as we become fatigued by exposure to excess content. This information avalanche defeats even data collectors, who fail to analyze and use it productively. Dealing with cognitive overload, the author says, requires both proactive and reactive filters; without them, memory distortions multiply. There is much (but not too much!) useful information here, including suggestions to turn off app notifications on your phone, not multitask, and exercise more, which has a beneficial impact on the brain. Key chapters differentiate misinformation from disinformation and detail the effects (especially on teens) of data overload. Analyzing causal factors for difficulties in identifying reliable information, Nardo cites the proliferation of unreliable sources, weak critical thinking and fact-checking skills, feedback loops, and confirmation bias but doesn’t discuss distrust of authority or disparagement of mainstream outlets. Another oversight is the relative lack of attention to the impact on self-image and emotional regulation of pressures resulting from social media exposure. Readers may wish for more suggestions for dealing with many of the problems cited. However, this is a solid introduction to a significant issue.
This basic presentation of key issues offers some ideas for mitigating a widespread problem. (picture credits, source notes, further research, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-6782-0342-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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