While still debated, the potential for Internet or digital devices to have addictive qualities is an emerging concern.

The intrusion of electronic devices (laptop, tablet, cell phone) allows students to divide attention between the classroom and other unrelated activities, for example, texting, watching a movie, playing a game and shopping. Numerous classroom studies have found a negative correlation between the amount of time spent using an electronic device for non-academic purposes during class and subsequent exam performance.

From September 2018, the French Government voted overwhelmingly (62-1) to ban students age 3 – 15 from using smartphones and tablets. Perhaps they will start passing notes instead?

Some recent technology stats:

  • Use is every 12 minutes
  • Most use 24 hrs. /week = I day
  • 78% couldn’t live without

Are fears overblown? Some people would say that if schools are to prepare students for the modern world, they need to embrace technology because it has an extraordinary ability to enrich learning. Others suggest that there are problems that are worse and can be more distracting e.g. bullying, stress, anxiety, peer pressure, home life. Forgetful students can set reminders on their phones about homework or upcoming tests. So the debate continues.

As insider accounts from Silicon Valley tech companies have established, keeping people on their screens, rather than in the world of face-to-face interaction, is a key priority of designers and engineers at social-media outlets such as Facebook. Mr. Zuckerberg, in other words, is not promoting real social infrastructure, but a communications system that makes it harder for most of us to be fully present and engaged with the people we’re spending time with in real life. — Eric Klinenberg, author of “Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization and the Decline of Civic Life”

Don’t ever say ‘I didn’t mean it. It was an accident. I made a mistake.’ Those are lies, lies, lies… Everything online takes effort. — Paul Davis, Cybersecurity Expert

Real human communication is critical for mental health.