Book Review: The Digital Delusion by Dr. Jared Cooney-Horvath

I recently read the latest book from Dr Jared Cooney-Horvath. The Digital Delusion. While I’m an advocate for AI (for teachers) and the effective use of technology in schools, this book really hit home. It’s not "anti-tech"—it's "pro-learning”. It validates a hard truth: unchecked classroom technology can actually weaken how students think and remember.

I also found the book quite affirming as it aligns strongly with the work I do with many schools across New Zealand:

• Lowering screentime while raising expectations

• Coaching teachers to be both warm and demanding

• Honouring the Zone of Proximal Development of our learners, by coaching teachers to Scaffold, Differentiate and Feedback in ways that are highly impactful for all learners.

• Developing a highly nuanced approach as to how, when and why students would use technology in the classroom.

• Structuring classroom routines so that when technology is used, students do More Work, in Less Time and to a Higher Standard.

Some Key Concepts from the Digital Delusion book

1. The Mode Effect: Digital vs. Paper

Students often perform worse on screens than on paper.

• The Analogy: Think of digital tools like training wheels. A student might look fast on a digital quiz (like Quizlet), but once you take the "wheels" away for a paper test, they wobble because they haven't actually learned to balance the information themselves.

• The Lesson: High engagement (fun apps) does not always equal high learning.

2. Memory Anchoring: Finding Your Place

When you read a physical book, your brain uses "spatial cues" (e.g., "that fact was at the bottom left of the page").

• The Analogy: It’s like navigating a city using highly visible, 3D landmarks versus following a 2D GPS. When you scroll on a screen, the "landmarks" disappear. Your brain has to work harder just to keep track of where it is, leaving less room to actually understand the content.

3. The Fluency Illusion: Easy vs. Durable

Skimming a screen or using AI to summarise notes feels easy, which tricks the brain into thinking it knows the material.

• The Example: It’s like watching a cooking show. It looks easy while you’re watching, but when you stand in the kitchen without the video, you realise you don't actually know the recipe.

• The Lesson: Critical thinking is a skyscraper; you can’t build the top floors (analysis) if the foundation (basic knowledge) is made of "guesswork."

Practical Tips for Thriving

For Students:

• Ditch the Keyboard: Handwrite notes. It’s "slower," but that friction helps the brain process, remember and locate the information.

• Flashcard Reality Check: Write physical cards. Apps often test recognition (picking the right answer), while paper tests recall (knowing it from scratch).

• The Fitness Model: Space out your study. Ten minutes every night is like a daily workout; a two-hour "cram" session once a week just leads to burnout and forgetting.

For Teachers:

• Homework = Practice: Use homework to strengthen skills already taught, not to "discover" new ones.

• Focus on Intent: Use tech as a tool (like a hammer), not as the lesson itself. Every instance of device use should be short and purposeful - it should also have a clear "why" related to enhanced Learning, Accountability, Creativity and the provision of formative feedback that is Fast, Multi-Modal and acted on.

A Final Note

While the research is sobering, I see hope. Many schools are now adopting "Intentional Tech" policies, and students themselves are becoming savvy, often looking down on "low-effort" AI use.

Whether you are a parent or an educator, this book is a vital manual for protecting the most important "hardware" our kids have: their brains. Our education system should be coaching and supporting students to optimise the use of the device behind their eyeballs, rather than the device in front of them!

Just a few days ago, Jared gave evidence to a Senate Subcommittee that is looking at the negative effects of Screentime on child development - watch it here.

Here is an interesting video of Jared in which he shares some highly concerning data about the negative trends in student outcomes and how they correlate with increased access to devices at school.