Episode 142: The Digital Distraction — How Wireless Devices Are Hijacking Student Learning

I got into this space after dealing with some frustrating interactions with school educators and administrators , as well as experiencing the microaggressions that I faced as an African American mom raising my two kids , who were in the public school system .

I really wanted to understand how teachers were trained and what the research provided about the challenges of the public education system . Once I gained the information and the insights that I needed , I was then equipped to be able to successfully support my children in their education and progress .

This battle-tested experience is what I provide as action steps for you to take . It's like enjoying a bowl of educational research with a sprinkling of mother wisdom

on top . If you're looking to find out more about current information and issues in public education that could affect you and your children , and the action steps that you can take to give your children the advantages they need , then you're in the right place . Thanks for tuning in today .

I know that staying informed about K-12 public education trends and topics is important to you , so keep listening . Give me 30 minutes and I'll untangle the latest trends , issues and topics pertaining to this constantly evolving K-12 public education environment .

In this episode , I'll be discussing whether wireless devices in the classroom are causing learning issues and attention deficits for students . Did you know that declines in student learning are on the rise due to increased technology in the classrooms ?

Not only that , but the more overall time that children spend on screens each day , regardless of the quality , is linked to lower language development . While technology has advanced some of the learning in classrooms across the country , it has also led to increased learning deficits and attention span deficits .

I discussed the downsides of the increased use of technology by today's children and what this means for their thinking , learning and social processes . In this episode ,

let's untangle this . Processes in this episode . Let's untangle this . On any given day , the average American teenager consumes about nine hours of entertainment media on their cell phones , according to Common Sense Media's recent census .

If they spend this much time every day on their smartphones much time every day on their smartphones this raises a question when can learning fit in ? The short answer is it can't .

This leads to the rise of media multitasking habits , such as watching television , texting or using social media while doing homework Roughly two-thirds of teenagers who multitask said that they don't think that multitasking while doing their homework affects the quality of their work . This isn't true . Medium multitasking doesn't work .

Chronic medium multitaskers are worse at most of the kinds of thinking . That's not only required of multitasking , but what's generally involved in deep thinking .

In fact , according to a recent California State University Dominguez Hills study of 263 middle high school and university students , the average student studied for less than six minutes before switching tasks because they were often distracted by technology , including social media or texting .

So I ask you , what kind of critical thinking can possibly exist within the span of six minutes ? Even though teenagers are in the prime stage of life to learn , they simultaneously possess powerful habit-forming abilities that make them vulnerable to dependency and addiction vulnerable to dependency and addiction .

It follows , then , that , as teenagers' attention spans continue to diminish because of unrestrained media consumption , this generation of students may be cognitively unprepared to think critically . The erosion of critical thinking skills is due to uninhibited media consumption and a six-minute attention span . It's interesting to note that declines in student

learning are on the rise due to increased technology in the classrooms . National test scores started dropping abruptly in 2013 after 25 years of growth , with no clear cause , however . Instagram came out in 2010 , snapchat came out in 2011 , and Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012 .

With this in mind , the national test score tumble seems to be correlated to increased smartphone and social media use . The more overall time that children spend on screens each day , regardless of the quality , is linked to lower language development .

A majority of educators said students' learning challenges rose along with their increased screen time and that student behavior worsened with more screen time . Without a doubt , the indirect effects of technology on the comprehension habits of young learners are a problem . In a broad sense , technology has transformed the way children view life .

Unfortunately , the overall influence of rapidly advancing technology can also be an obstacle to K-12 classrooms . Most children arrive in kindergarten with an advanced idea of instant gratification . Due to readily available access to wireless devices . They know that any game , program or form of communication is available at the touch of a button .

This easy access to everything influences the way children are programmed for learning , especially when moments of frustration arise . It's always been difficult to keep the attention of students , especially those in elementary school , but advancements like smartphones , electronic tablets and websites directed at young learners have complicated this truth even more .

This is how technology takes its toll on K-12 classrooms across the country . Look at it this way when we read for pleasure , most of us are looking for some type of escape . We feel a special interest in a particular topic , excitement , a chance to escape reality . People who love to read have an interactive relationship with the material .

It's that cracking open of a fresh book . That's an experience unlike any other . That's an experience unlike any other .

On the other hand , children who are introduced to literature in the same way that they learn math problems or have video calls with grandparents or play non-educational games , don't have that same reference for reading , because it's nothing special to them . You may be wondering what's the answer , then ?

There is no clear , definitive answer for how elementary and secondary school students can be expected to learn the quote-unquote right way . Technology has provided

the necessary upgrades in how education is presented , but traditional teaching elements still need to be maintained . Educators in middle and high schools continue struggling to manage students' cell phone use during class .

What may be surprising is that cell phones are poised to become a bigger problem for elementary schools , since a significant percentage of young children now have their own devices . In fact , more than half the children who enter kindergarten have their own personal tablets and one in four have their own smartphones by age eight .

Further , of the children who are age 8 and younger that have cell phones , 79% have a smartphone that can go online and use apps , 19% have a smartphone that has limited access to the internet and apps , and 3% have a very basic phone that lacks features like touchscreens .

In response to this , several states and school districts have created more restrictive cell phone policies in schools In response to their frustrations around managing cell phone use in the classroom . Classroom Overall , this means a lot of distracted students , a large percentage of whom may experience learning and attention deficits .

Children ages 5 to 8 are spending an average of three and a half hours on screens daily . Researchers continue to point out that young elementary students' technology use could affect their social life and emotional and academic learning .

Additionally , 25% of parents with 5 to 8-year-olds said their children are watching or playing on mobile devices to fall asleep most nights . Research shows that screen time before bed negatively affects children's sleep , which can hurt not only their mental health but their ability to learn in school .

Pediatricians recommend that children get off screens at least one hour before they go to bed , as the use of personal devices such as smartphones , have become more entrenched in young elementary children's daily routines . Reading among this group has declined . For example , in

2020 , 63% of parents of children ages 5 to 8 reported that their children were reading or being read to daily . That percentage dropped to 52% in 2024 . To address the proliferation of cell phones in schools , many states and local school districts are considering or passing policies to restrict students' cell phone use in school .

42% of teachers and principals said that students aren't allowed to use cell phones at school at all , although they are allowed to bring them to the campus . Another 7% of teachers and principals say that cell phones aren't allowed on the campus at all .

Schools are trying a variety of approaches to curb students' cell phone use , from all-out bands to more tailored restrictions that allow students to use their phones during certain times of the day or in designated areas . But it's one thing to have cell phone restrictions in place on the books and yet another thing altogether to enforcing them .

More often than not , cell phone policies aren't enforced by administrators or teachers . Now let's move from listening to this discussion to applying it . So what can you do about cell phone use for your children ? Here are the action steps you can take regarding this topic .

Without a doubt , the indirect effects of technology on the comprehension habits of young learners are a problem . The direct downside of increased use of mobile devices , whether at school or at home , decreases your child's attention span and learning engagement .

Researchers have noted that parents who spend more time distracted by their cell phones when their children are very young , between the ages of 10 months and 2 years , have children who have underdeveloped language skills . These language skills deficits carry over , if not addressed , into kindergarten . You are the best monitor of your child's screen time . Here are some

tips to manage screen time One , spend more time engaging with your children in real life by playing games , reading to them or participating in hands-on activities . Two , or participating in hands-on activities . Two , monitor the types of educational apps that your child uses , not only in content or quality , but in duration .

Three , help your child work on developing their creativity by writing out stories , using pencils or crayons to draw and illustrate those stories' ideas . And four , utilize audiobooks or children podcasts to enhance your child's listening skills .

As I reflect on what tools were used when I was growing up , which was way before wireless devices , we used reel-to-reel tape recorders , board games and , most of all , we used our imaginations , you might be surprised at the things you can create when you're outside and only have old pods or pants , cups , rope and sticks to play with .

The possibilities are endless . Give your children the gift of using their imagination by letting them play outside without devices . Go for it . Here are this episode's takeaways . On any given day , the average American teenager consumes about nine hours of entertainment media on their cell phones .

If they spend this much time every day on their smartphones , this raises a question when can learning fit in ? The short answer is it can't . It's interesting to note that declines in student learning are on the rise due to increased technology in the classrooms . National test scores started dropping abruptly in 2013 after 25 years of growth , with no clear cause .

However , instagram came out in 2010 , snapchat came out in 2011 , and Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012 . With these things in mind , the national test score TUMBLE seems to be correlated to increased smartphone and social media

use . The more overall time that children spend on screens each day , regardless of the quality , is linked to lower language development . A majority of educators said students' learning challenges rose along with their increased screen time and that student behavior worsened with more screen time . In a broad sense , technology has transformed the way children view life .

Unfortunately , the overall influence of rapidly advancing technology can also be an obstacle to K-12 classrooms . Most children arrive in kindergarten with an advanced idea of instant gratification due to readily available access to wireless devices .

It's always been difficult to keep the attention of students , especially those in elementary school , but advancements like smartphones , electronic tablets and websites directed at young learners have complicated this truth even more . This is how technology takes its toll on K-12 classrooms across the country .

What are your thoughts about the use of wireless devices and the decrease in attention and learning for your children ? What are your thoughts ? What do you think about that ? Leave me what you're thinking about that in a comment on my podcast website , k12educationuntangledbuzzsprout . If you enjoyed this episode , why not listen to another episode from our library ?

It can take as little as 10 minutes of your day and remember . New episodes come out every Tuesday . Thanks for listening today . Be sure to come back for more Game 12 educational discussions with even more exciting topics to untangle . Until next time , aim to learn something new every day .