Kaitlyn Regehr's 'paradigm-shifting' guide to phone usage won by Bluebird in 10-way auction

Bluebird is set to publish the "paradigm-shifting" guide to healthy smartphone use from Dr Kaitlyn Regehr. Jodie Lancet-Grant, associate publisher, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Smartphone Nation: Why We’re All Addicted to Screens and What You Can Do About It by Regehr, from Rachel Mills at Rachel Mills Literary, in a "fiercely fought" 10-way auction.

The publisher described it as an "agenda-setting, practical book" that would "transform the way we, and our children, use our devices" and that it "offers a clear route out of a society-wide addiction that has become a major public health crisis". It will publish in May 2025.

Regehr is an associate professor at University College London, lecturing on digital literacy and the ethical implications of social media and AI. She appears regularly in the media as an expert on the subject, and has provided consultation in the House of Lords and for MPs and the Metropolitan Police. She has also fed into legislation and policy reform on digital technologies including the Online Safety Act.

Bluebird said the book was essential reading for "anyone who has ever worried about how compulsively they check their phone—or who is considering getting one for their kid". The publisher added: "Smartphone Nation equips readers with information that will tool them up not only to survive in the digital space, but to thrive."

Regehr said: "If we are collectively given tools and guidance to make proactive interventions into the digital space, we can build a healthier society. Let’s equip ourselves to make things better for young people, for us, for everyone."

Lancet-Grant said: "It is rare to encounter a book with such profound implications for both society and for each of us personally. The clarity with which Kaitlyn sets out not only the real situation we are facing when it comes to smartphone use, but also a route through it, is astonishing."