The Resource Shelf

Everything worth knowing about screens, attention and getting free — gathered in one place, free, with nothing sponsored and nothing tracked.

Reference

Screen Time & Addiction Statistics 2026

Every current figure with its source, its publication date and the period it was actually collected — plus the seven widely-quoted numbers that turn out to be wrong, and why.

See the numbers →
Reference

Does A Digital Detox Actually Work?

Nine studies in plain English, including the ones that found nothing. What the evidence supports, what it does not, and where serious researchers genuinely disagree.

Read the evidence →
Directory

Every Tool, Reviewed Independently

App blockers, physical devices and minimal phones, with no affiliate links and no money from anyone — and the free settings on your phone that work as well as most of them.

See the tools →
Directory

Where To Get Help

Free meetings running every day, twelve-step fellowships, clinical treatment and family resources — what each is for and what it costs.

Find help →
List

The Best Books

Books on attention, phone addiction, digital minimalism and getting free — including serious arguments against the case made on this site.

The reading list →
List

The Best Podcasts

Which shows are worth your time, which have quietly stopped publishing, and seven individual episodes to go straight to.

The listening list →
List

The Films

Michael's videos about phone use and time offline, followed by selected films and talks from other creators.

Watch →
Reference

A Glossary Of The Attention Economy

Variable reward, doomscrolling, revenge bedtime procrastination, top and bottom lines — what the words mean and why each one matters to you.

Look it up →
Writing

All The Articles

Everything I have written here — the dark side of the machine, and the practical work of getting out from under it.

Browse →
Guide

For Parents

What the evidence says about children and screens, including where it is contested, and what to do this week.

Read it →
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