The ideas behind engagism are being further developed in my upcoming book "E-scapism:  We're Not Tuning Out, We're Pluggin In."  Following is an overview.  I welcome comments, questions, examples and good (or bad) ideas from all engagism.com readers!

Overview of E-scapism

"Turn off the darn television before your brain turns to mush."

"Hey, you"™re in public.  Pull those headphones out of your ears and listen to me."

"If you keep playing those video games you're going to turn into a sociopath."

Sound familiar?

Well-known author and critic Harlan Ellison labeled television as "The Glass Teat."  Since then, Blackberrys, MP3 players, Gameboys, portable DVD players and the like have similarly been branded "escapist tools" that foster disconnection.  As Robert Putnam puts it, we're all "bowling alone." 

The author of e-scapism disagrees.  In this eye-opening book, she boldly claims that society does not collapse while we fiddle with the volume on our iPods.  In fact, escapist tools actually benefit users by allowing them to manage the stress of their increasingly hectic lives.  They help us create a calm, connected cocoon in the midst chaos. 

Perhaps even more provocative is her suggestion that high tech tools are a proactive way to temporarily shut out destructive realities forced upon us by a crowded, noisy society.  Interactive gadgets allow us to take charge of to whom and to what we give our time and attention.  Rather than a "necessary evil", consumer electronics provide us with a constructive way to control how we spend our time so that it is personally meaningful, productive and enjoyable.

Forward thinking individuals and organizations are harnessing the control potential that is part of e-scapism including the concepts of "mescapism" (using escapist tools to focus on ourselves) and "wescapism" (using escapist tools to build community).  They are discovering that understanding these principles will help them retain members, motivate employees and maintain productivity on the road while increasing profit.

After reading e-scapism readers will:

• Understand and embrace this simple yet profound paradign shift
• Rethink and redefine the knee jerk perception that using electronics is a mere escape
• Know how and why we use electronics to engage in what matters most to us at the moment
• Gain the perspective and the tools they need to capitalize on the benefits of e-scapism
• Appreciate the power of e-scapism to help us make sense of our rapidly changing, content-on-demand culture.