Jessica Speer is the highly acclaimed author of books for kids and teens, including, The Phone Book – Stay Safe, Be Smart, and Make the World Better with the Powerful Device in Your Hand. She is also the author of the award-winning BFF or NRF (Not Really Friends)? A Girl’s Guide to Happy Friendships and Middle School – Safety Goggles Advised, both of which grew from her work with kids.
Jessica has a Master’s Degree in Social Sciences and a knack for writing about complex topics in ways that connect with kids. She is regularly featured on television shows, podcasts, and publications on topics related to kids, parenting, friendship, screens, and social-emotional development. Blending humor, stories, and fun activities, her writing unpacks tricky stuff that surfaces during childhood and adolescence. This one-on-one interview shares Jessica’s background and experience in writing THE PHONE BOOK.
Tell us about THE PHONE BOOK – Stay Safe, Be Smart, and Make the World Better with the Powerful Device in Your Hand.
Like many parents, I’ve been trying to figure out how to raise kids with healthy and safe digital habits. This is no easy task, given that adequate digital guardrails are not yet in place for kids, and tech is designed to keep us engaged and scrolling.
Cellphones and digital devices are powerful tools–that can be used in both positive and negative ways. Combining humor, the voices of tweens and teens, and research-based explanations, THE PHONE BOOK informs and entertains readers on how to build healthy and safe phone habits in today’s tech-obsessed world.
Some of the topics covered in the book include:
– Why Tech Companies Want You Staring at Your Screen
– Digital Footprints
– Misinformation and Disinformation
– Social Media
– Tech Addiction
– FOMO
– Stranger Danger Online
– Cyberbullying and Digital Drama
– How to Use Your Phone as a Force for Good
What inspired you to write THE PHONE BOOK – Stay Safe, Be Smart, and Make the World Better with the Powerful Device in Your Hand?
More than half of 11-year-olds in the US have a smartphone, and this age is trending younger every year. The pace of kids getting online is moving much faster than any regulations on technology platforms and apps. This places much of the burden of helping kids safely navigate the digital world on parents.
This is challenging for many families since the online world is fraught with inappropriate and harmful content, cyberbullying, FOMO, and more. As a kids’ book author with a social sciences background, this inspired me. I wanted to write a book to help kids become more informed tech consumers. A book that arms them with information and awareness that dives into safe and healthy digital habits too. I also wanted this book to be a framework for families, prompting conversations on important topics.
How did your background and experience influence your writing?
My background is in social sciences with an emphasis on kids, teens, and their social worlds. My first two books for preteens and teens focus on navigating friendships and the middle school years. These days, since much of the social lives of pre-teens and teens happen online, I wanted to explore that in a way that connects with and supports kids.
If you could leave readers with one message, what would that be?
Your phone is a powerful tool. Your superpower is figuring out how to use this tool to shape your life and the lives of others in positive ways.
Purchasing the Book
In THE PHONE BOOK, Jessica’s unique approach to the complex and ever-changing topic of cell phones and technology grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers.
Ultimately, readers will learn that ripples of change can be made by using technology for good, at home, at school, in the community, and worldwide.
THE PHONE BOOK – Stay Safe, Be Smart, and Make the World Better with the Powerful Device in Your Hand- is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores. Readers are encouraged to purchase their copy today: https://www.amazon.com/Phone-Book-Better-Powerful-Device/dp/1641709901
Connect with Author, Jessica Speer:
Website: https://jessicaspeer.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessica_speer_author/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-speer-46b6457/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessicaSpeerAuthor
Media Contact
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