Behind the Screens: How the internet works and how to make it work for you
by Niraj Lal with illustrations by Aska
UQP, 2026
Behind the Screens is a slim volume that goes into detail about the dangers and pleasures of the internet, written with a young audience in mind by Dr Niraj Lal, an ANU Visiting Fellow and host of the ABC’s Imagine This podcast.
It is engaging, full of interesting and helpful information, and attractively illustrated throughout. The pictures provide additional information and detail, often including quotes from young teenagers to demonstrate their perspectives on things.
The text includes chapters on How the Internet Works, Social Media, Gaming, Artificial Intelligence and Being Healthy with Tech. One thing that Dr Lal repeatedly points out is that our interactions with technology, be they positive or negative, cause us to respond physically and we should be attuned to the way we feel.
He points out that most adults check their phones 85 times a day – once every eleven minutes – and that it is often the first and last thing we do every day. He recommends being ‘mindful, meaningful and moderate’ with what we do online and that we should focus on things that make us feel positive and inspired, including a range of ways children can stay physically, socially and psychologically safe while being online.
Lal also considers the way children, and indeed everyone, are manipulated by what they read on the internet and how we should remain vigilant about the accuracy of information and check sources.
Furthermore, Lal does not imagine his audience to be passive recipients of the entertainment, information and social opportunities that the internet provides, but looks to the future and encourages all users to be active participants in creating the digital world they want to live in, ensuring equality, freedom and integrity. A highly useful and engaging text.
