Always On

We live at a time when billions have access to unbelievably powerful technology. The most extraordinary tool that has been invented in the last century, the smartphone is forcing radical changes in the way we live and work - and unlike previous technologies it is in the hands of just about everyone.

Coupled with the rise of social media, this has ushered in a new era of deeply personal technology, where individuals now have the ability to work, create and communicate on their own terms, rather than wait for permission from giant corporations or governments. At least that is the optimistic view.

This book takes readers on a hectic ride through this turbulent era, as related by an author with a ringside seat to the key moments of the technology revolution. We will remember the excitement and wonder that came with the arrival of Apple's iPhone with all the promise it offered. We’ll see tech empires rise and fall as these devices send shockwaves through every industry and leave the corporate titans of the analogue era floundering in their wake. We will see that early utopianism about the potential of the mobile social revolution to transform society for the better fade, as criminals, bullies and predators poison the well of social media. As politicians first try to embrace the new technology and then struggle to regulate it, we will chart their painful attempts to master this new world and the pitfalls and threat to democracy posed by those who seek to manipulate our data for sinister purposes.

Readers are immersed in the most important story of our times – the dramatic impact of hyperconnectivity, the smartphone and social media on everything from our democracy to our employment and our health. Divided into three parts, the book begins with the early disruptors and innovators, later giving way to the 'Woes of the Web' as tech seeps into society and politics in sinister ways. The book ends with a highly personal exploration of the power of AI and medical technology, including how COVID-19 made us look again to technology in our battle to confront the greatest challenge of modern times.