Imagine this: you are doing your homework, when suddenly, a text message appears on your screen and you feel compelled to respond quickly. You return to your homework, and soon, another notification appears. Finally after 20 minutes, you return to your homework, but you keep getting sidetracked by your phone. Technology creates more distractions for students, affecting learning because not only do teachers have to work harder to acquire students’ attention, but students also are performing worse on standardized assessments and they grow accustomed to searching the internet for their homework answers.

To begin, teachers have to work harder to obtain students’ attention. Educators need to repeatedly stop their lesson to regain students’ focus. Meanwhile, students are constantly getting distracted by their cell phones and school devices, such as MacBooks or Chromebooks provided by the district. Every time a student receives a notification on their cell phone, their attention span slowly diminishes. Teachers say that “students’ constant use of digital technology is hampering their attention spans...” (Richtel). Many teachers feel that students’ attention spans are decreasing due to an increase of technology use. Some teachers also noticed that it takes longer to obtain students’ attentions because of their inability to focus. Furthermore, many teachers feel that they “had to work harder to capture and hold students’ attention” (Richtel). Since students are so focused on technology, teachers have to work harder to attain students’ attention, wasting valuable class time that could be spent on additional learning. For instance, a teacher could spend time helping students, explaining more in depth, or giving instructions. Instead, teachers spend a significant amount of class time trying to acquire students’ attention. Furthermore, according to the Common Sense Research Center, 71 percent of 685 teachers feel that technology was negatively impacting students ability to concentrate (Richtel). Due to technology, teachers feel that that students have a difficult time concentrating on tasks. In contrast, many people think that technology can benefit students with disabilities since it captures and holds student’s attention (Pinker). However, since technology can create distractions for students, this allows for hindrance in studies. According to Larry Cuban, an emeritus education professor at Stanford University, students’ engagement in their studies increase in the first couple months of using technological devices and apps to help learn, unfortunately, after the initial incline, the excitement wears off, and students start to take advantage of their interactive apps (Pinker). For instance, students first earn their devices, they work very hard to keep them, but after a few months, students know that the devices and learning tools are there to stay, so they do not work as hard, and they take advantage of the apps and devices. Therefore, students’ attention spans are slowly diminishing from the constant use of technology in schools.

Additionally, students have consistent low scores on standardized assessments. Schools that had less Internet access performed better on standardized testing than those with more (Green). Less internet access has proven to benefit students. Students enrolled in schools that use less technology tend to perform better on tests. According to a survey done by Jacob Vigdor and Helen Ladd, “Students who gain access to a home computer between the 5th and 8th grades tend to witness a persistent decline in reading and math scores” (Pinker). If children were exposed to fewer technological devices, standardized test scores might improve. Therefore, giving students more of a chance to have a future. Recent studies have shown that students and schools that have more access to technology have performed worse on reading and math standardized tests (Green). Because students’ are so concentrated on technology, they are not remembering to study, finish homework, or even pay attention in class. If students were to use less technology, the odds are that they would perform better on tests. Many people think that there are programs, such as Khan Academy, that have created unique ways to assist children’s learning and study habits (Green). Although this is not incorrect, it is not entirely true. These programs can benefit students’ study habits, but they do not help test scores. Studies show that students are receiving lower test scores due to technology.

Lastly, technology use impacts students’ ability to complete homework. According to the Common Sense Research Center, about 50 percent of 685 teachers noticed that technology hindered students’ ability to complete homework (Richtel). Due to technological advances, schools are giving students laptops to take home and use for schoolwork. This creates more room to veer off of homework, and use the school computer to play games instead. The Pew Research Center observed that about 76 percent of teachers believe that students grow accustomed to looking up answers on the Internet (Richtel). If students become accustomed to looking up the answers to their homework on the internet, they will never learn. By giving students their own devices, it is highly easy for one to look up an answer with a few keyboard clicks. According to the education researchers Mark Warschauer and Morgan Ames, students who had laptops spent more time on games and less time on their homework (Pinker). If students were not given laptops by school systems, the amount of time spent on homework would increase. If students did not have distractors, students would be more efficient in completing their homework. Many people argue that the Internet and other search engines have a mostly positive impact on student research skills and homework aid. Additionally, others believe that such tools make students more self-sufficient researchers (Richtel). However, research shows that educators have discovered that students who utilize computers more frequently are the students who tend to not complete homework assignments (Pinker). Technology has proven that it is a distraction to students, and as a result, students are not completing their homework to their full ability.

In summation, many students have proven to be more prone to distractions with technology. Teachers must not only work harder to receive students’ attention, but students are not performing as well on assessments, and not completing homework assignments. By giving students laptops in schools to “help” them work, teachers and administrators are basically handing students distractions. If students continue to become distracted, they will develop poor study habits, which will affect their interpersonal and professional relationships.

Works Cited

Burger, Rachel. "How Does Technology Affect Educational Psychology?"Capterra Blog How Does
Technology Affect Educational Psychology Comments. N.p., 2 Apr. 2015. Web. 28 Mar.
2016.

Green, Sarah. "How Technology in the Classroom Really Affects Learning - Supporting Education." Supporting Education. N.p., 11 Nov. 2013. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.

Pinker, Susan. "Can Students Have Too Much Tech?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Jan. 2015. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.

Richtel, Matt. "Technology Changing How Students Learn, Teachers Say." The New York Times. The New York Times, 31 Oct. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.